Bikes on trains

[Slick]

Cannot remember the dates Slick but it may coincide with the rail lines being washed out by floodwater. There was a replacement bus service which seemed to involve changing at Crianlarich.

Mmm, might have been, not sure.

 

[OldShep]

On the trip posted above, I was met by a concerned female guard who had already sent 20 cyclists home as they couldn't take them and she thought I was going to be number 21. This was end of July this year, no reservations were possible.

On the trip posted above as far as I can work out it wasn’t the West Highland Line As it doesn’t run to Edinburgh. The new stock is for the WHL.

 

[snorri]

May have to take a bike on a scotrail service soon.
Can you elaborate?

Depends on which service you intend to use, different conditions exist on different routes.

 

[Blue Hills]

See post below, but my experience 9n busy lines like this is they will not accept reservations. On a recent trip to Newcastle, I could reserve my space on the virgin line from Edinburgh to Newcastle but couldn't guarantee a spot to get me to Edinburgh. Really frustrating.

What if you have a multi-leg ticket booked for a specific train? Am planning in the future to take a virgin train from carlisle then change onto scotrail from edinburgh going up the line to inverness.

 

[Slick]

On the trip posted above as far as I can work out it wasn’t the West Highland Line As it doesn’t run to Edinburgh. The new stock is for the WHL.

The trip I was wasn't the WHL but the guard was turning them away from that line and she assumed that I was heading for Oban.

 

[Slick]

What if you have a multi-leg ticket booked for a specific train? Am planning in the future to take a virgin train from carlisle then change onto scotrail from edinburgh going up the line to inverness.

Kind of what I did except the other way. Virgin were excellent on the way down with the bike going in the old style guard van but the way home was a bit different with no seat available and the bikes meant to be hanging on a double hook thing. In my experience, Edinburgh to Inverness is where you may encounter problems, although not all agree with me. I'm sure I either started a thread about it at the time or posted elsewhere about my frustrations trying to call them and getting the run around. I'll try and find it.

 

[Blue Hills]

Kind of what I did except the other way. Virgin were excellent on the way down with the bike going in the old style guard van but the way home was a bit different with no seat available and the bikes meant to be hanging on a double hook thing. In my experience, Edinburgh to Inverness is where you may encounter problems, although not all agree with me. I'm sure I either started a thread about it at the time or posted elsewhere about my frustrations trying to call them and getting the run around. I'll try and find it.

Many thanks. Would be pretty bad if i had a ticket booked all the way through from yorks to inverness but couldn't get beyond edinburgh and had to chuck the ticket away. May also email them in a search for a straight answer. All i need is a yay or nay from them - ticket a special price so would be booked weeks ahead.

 

[OldShep]

What if you have a multi-leg ticket booked for a specific train? Am planning in the future to take a virgin train from carlisle then change onto scotrail from edinburgh going up the line to inverness.

Carlisle > on either Virgin or TP you can reserve a bike.
Haymarket> Inverness you can book a bike on that line.
Split ticket so I’d get both up to the "buy now" in two windows checking availability then hit buy.

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for the reassurance on the scotrail bike booking on that line.
RE the ticket itself, cheaper in this instance to buy a straight-Through ticket across three companies.

 

[OldShep]

Thanks for the reassurance on the scotrail bike booking on that line.
RE the ticket itself, cheaper in this instance to buy a straight-Through ticket across three companies.

That’s unusual but a welcome development. I get CAR to INV the same price of £26.20 by either method.