CyclePikel
Active Member
Long story short: locking doors are currently being installed between the compartment and the carriage on all Pendolinos. Once they've put their bikes in the compartment, cyclists will no longer be able to go back in there. They will have to retrieve the bike at their stop from the outside carriage door.
Detail:
Virgin Trains can carry four bikes at a time (with an interesting exception) and you have to pre-book.
Virgin run two types of trains. On the Virgin Voyager trains the cyclist can walk on with their bike so the following doesn't apply.
On Virgin Pendolino trains the cyclist has to wait for the platform staff or train staff to open the exterior door.
After they've secured the bike they find the Train Manager to remind them about the bike and then take their reserved cyclist seat in carriage A. Some like to stay with the bike if it's valuable.
Until now, a cyclist could pop back into the compartment to check on their bike or move it if other bikes came on.
However, locking doors are being installed.
Once a cyclist has gone through the door it will close and can only be opened with a staff key. Passengers are to be kept out of the compartment, as per the 'Staff Only' sign on the door. No staying with the bike, no popping back to check on it, no getting your drink bottle; certainly no unstrapping the bike and standing with it before your stop.
When the cyclist gets off they will walk along the outside of the carriage along the platform to meet the Train Manager or platform at the carriage door and will then be able to enter the compartment.
You'll get a couple of minutes as per a normal train stop to jump on, move any bikes in front of yours, unstrap your bike, pick up your panniers or whatever and get everything off.
Virgin Trains say this is a security precaution to stop passengers standing in the compartment.
Here is their response to an enquiry about it:
Yes we have adapted the doors on coach A for security reasons, and this will be rolling out across the fleet. Customers are advised to make the Train manager aware of their departing station, and they will ensure bikes are taken off the trains.
So if you're thinking of taking your expensive bike on a Virgin Pendolino you might want to ask them a few questions.
As mentioned above, none of the above applies to Virgin Voyager trains. All Virgin trains to Wales are Voyagers so on trains between Euston and Holyhead cyclists will still have access to the compartment.
Incidentally, other train operators are currently introducing advance booking only places for bikes. It's almost as if cyclists aren't welcome.
Detail:
Virgin Trains can carry four bikes at a time (with an interesting exception) and you have to pre-book.
Virgin run two types of trains. On the Virgin Voyager trains the cyclist can walk on with their bike so the following doesn't apply.
On Virgin Pendolino trains the cyclist has to wait for the platform staff or train staff to open the exterior door.
After they've secured the bike they find the Train Manager to remind them about the bike and then take their reserved cyclist seat in carriage A. Some like to stay with the bike if it's valuable.
Until now, a cyclist could pop back into the compartment to check on their bike or move it if other bikes came on.
However, locking doors are being installed.
Once a cyclist has gone through the door it will close and can only be opened with a staff key. Passengers are to be kept out of the compartment, as per the 'Staff Only' sign on the door. No staying with the bike, no popping back to check on it, no getting your drink bottle; certainly no unstrapping the bike and standing with it before your stop.
When the cyclist gets off they will walk along the outside of the carriage along the platform to meet the Train Manager or platform at the carriage door and will then be able to enter the compartment.
You'll get a couple of minutes as per a normal train stop to jump on, move any bikes in front of yours, unstrap your bike, pick up your panniers or whatever and get everything off.
Virgin Trains say this is a security precaution to stop passengers standing in the compartment.
Here is their response to an enquiry about it:
Yes we have adapted the doors on coach A for security reasons, and this will be rolling out across the fleet. Customers are advised to make the Train manager aware of their departing station, and they will ensure bikes are taken off the trains.
So if you're thinking of taking your expensive bike on a Virgin Pendolino you might want to ask them a few questions.
As mentioned above, none of the above applies to Virgin Voyager trains. All Virgin trains to Wales are Voyagers so on trains between Euston and Holyhead cyclists will still have access to the compartment.
Incidentally, other train operators are currently introducing advance booking only places for bikes. It's almost as if cyclists aren't welcome.
