Leeds to Oban trains

[mjr]

RTT would disagree with you https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W36891/2022-05-27/detailed

OK, so what train was I looking at?!? Thanks for the correction.

 

[mjr]

Rather than trying to organise this online would you not be better picking a quiet time and going into the station to sort this all out? I've always found the staff at York station very helpful and they can tell immediately if there's a bike space available for a particular train.

To be fair, it's almost as much of a lottery in stations as online now. There are loads of great wise staff in ticket offices still but there are also some who will deny that a ticket you've used frequently (and go on to use again later) exists, or try to sell you a more expensive ticket for a slower route, or insist that bikes are not allowed on any train which does not offer bike reservations.

 

[OldShep]

OK, so what train was I looking at?!? Thanks for the correction.

Would be interesting to know where you got it from. If you can’t remember then your memory is probably as bad as mine.
At the station if you get my number1 son he’ll keep you right. Works for Northern now at Morecambe. Was at Carnforth til closure. Taught me everything I know about trains.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Would be interesting to know where you got it from. If you can’t remember then your memory is probably as bad as mine.
At the station if you get my number1 son he’ll keep you right. Works for Northern now at Morecambe. Was at Carnforth til closure. Taught me everything I know about trains.

Say thank to your son from an old lady on a bike. I always have fun with the Northern Rail guys and girls - consistently pleasant and helpful, IME. Morecambe and points north will soon start seeing more of me as the days lengthen ...

 

[Blue Hills]

Stay with your bike at all times or with it in view otherwise someone could pinch it as well.

Depends on the train. Little chance of a bike being nicked on West Coast I think. I do tend to check on it at intermediate stops, but that's just to see if any help/rearrangement is needed because of other cyclists getting on/off. (I tend to have a lot of junk on my bike)

 

[Blue Hills]

Right, thanks.

So here's the thing, and I'm about to display my ignorance of how to buy a train ticket. If I want to travel Leeds to Preston, AND I want to go with Northern Rail, how do I do that? www.trainline.com doesn't seem to state the carrier.

I'd book on the northern rail web site - if you book ahead you can get some pretty decent fares with Northern. No need to bother about booking the bike (you can't) - I'd just avoid obviously busy bits of the day.

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks. I'll investigate. Do you think it will be any faster? Or will I just end up getting on the same train to Glasgow that I would have caught in Preston?

enjoy the ride - have you done Settle to Carlisle before?

 

[annedonnelly]

Say thank to your son from an old lady on a bike. I always have fun with the Northern Rail guys and girls - consistently pleasant and helpful, IME. Morecambe and points north will soon start seeing more of me as the days lengthen ...

Northern staff over here in the north east are great too. I've missed seeing them due to WFH.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Depends on the train. Little chance of a bike being nicked on West Coast I think. I do tend to check on it at intermediate stops, but that's just to see if any help/rearrangement is needed because of other cyclists getting on/off. (I tend to have a lot of junk on my bike)

It could happen anywhere, I've been on trains without a bike and people have had their bike stolen when they have just sat in the carriage and left it. I don't think its worth the risk personally.

 

[KnittyNorah]

This is excellent, thanks so much for the feedback and info.

Just so you know, I know the southern part of the Outer Hebrides very well, including cycling there on holiday, but not cycle touring. So I've got a fair bit of experience of the geography, facilities, and especially Calmac ferries.

But I've never taken a bike on a train, and don't actually know anything really about trains around the north of England.

I don't think I can get onto a ferry in Oban, quite, in a day. Maybe I can, but only with tight connections and all the stress that involves. Mallaig might be doable.

So my plan would be to do three trains, with nice "safety" intervals between them, and stay overnight in Oban, ready for the ferry the next lunchtime.

So to avoid morning rush hour (I'm planning on Friday) I'd hope to get the 5:57 am Leeds to Preston. Even though I'll end up in the rush hour, at least if I've boarded that early (!) I'll have me and my bike on the train. Then breakfast on Preston station, mid morning train to Glasgow, lunch in Glasgow, leisurely train to Oban. Type of thing. I'd come back on the sleeper from Inverness. Does that sound like a reasonable plan?

Not too sure about the idea of 'breakfast on Preston station' tbh. Obvs I'm not changing trains when I'm at Preston station so I don't mooch around looking for coffee, but I'm unaware of the existence of much in the way of catering on the station itself. I'll be at the station again some time in the next couple of weeks so I'll make a point of looking and maybe surprise myself.

When I was waiting for my train - at around 8.30am on Thursday last week, on the platform adjacent to the Glasgow one - I noticed that the Glasgow platform wasn't over busy and that the platform staff managed it so it all ran like clockwork. I sat on the Glasgow platform for a while because there were no seats out of the icy wind on my little 'appendix' platform, and I was approached a couple of times by platform staff offering help to get my bike on the train promptly, obvs I thanked them and explained why I was waiting there. So I'm pretty certain that if you make yourself known to the platform staff they will assist you as much as they can.

 

[T4tomo]

It could happen anywhere, I've been on trains without a bike and people have had their bike stolen when they have just sat in the carriage and left it. I don't think its worth the risk personally.

I think Blue Hills point was they can only make off with it at a stop though, so on a "intercity" train that maybe only stops 3 times , you only need to to stroll down to the bike compartment a couple of mins before those stops. If some dude is stood there with your bike waiting to take it off the train, punch him in the face / take other restorative action....

 

[Blue Hills]

So I'm pretty certain that if you make yourself known to the platform staff they will assist you as much as they can.

Yep - always make yourself known then you'll be fine.

Though it's a through train it can be made easier by the fact that the drivers often get changed at Preston but can't remember if that's just on north or southbound trains.

I like the West Coast Pendolinos as a little step pops out to help you lug the bike on.

Going north from Preston the bike bit will be at the front I think.

 

[Blue Hills]

I think Blue Hills point was they can only make off with it at a stop though, so on a "intercity" train that maybe only stops 3 times , you only need to to stroll down to the bike compartment a couple of mins before those stops. If some dude is stood there with your bike waiting to take it off the train, punch him in the face / take other restorative action....

Unless I'm very much mistaken the thief would also need a member of staff to open the door from the bike area.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Yep - always make yourself known then you'll be fine.

Though it's a through train it can be made easier by the fact that the drivers often get changed at Preston but can't remember if that's just on north or southbound trains.

I like the West Coast Pendolinos as a little step pops out to help you lug the bike on.

Going north from Preston the bike bit will be at the front I think.

I don't know about the driver changing, as I was waiting towards t'other end, but they re-stocked the buffet/dining/bar thing of both of the Glasgow trains and the E'burgh train that came through while I was waiting.
So that took a few minutes - plenty of time to get a bike aboard and secured while they're doing that, as long as you're ready and waiting in the right place.

 

[KnittyNorah]

So to avoid morning rush hour (I'm planning on Friday) I'd hope to get the 5:57 am Leeds to Preston. Even though I'll end up in the rush hour, at least if I've boarded that early (!) I'll have me and my bike on the train. Then breakfast on Preston station, mid morning train to Glasgow, lunch in Glasgow, leisurely train to Oban. Type of thing.

05:57 Leeds - Preston will get you into Preston at 07:45 according to the timetable downloadable here.

If you left Leeds on the 05:15 Carlisle service you'd get into Carlisle at 08:03 having crossed the magnificent Ribblehead viaduct and enjoyed the glorious scenery of the Settle - Carlisle line.

Timetables available as above. The ones you want to look at are N7 and N9.

Leaving Preston on the first available Glasgow train after arriving from Leeds - at 08:15, Avanti - would see you passing through Carlisle at 09:21 and arriving in Glasgow at 10:37. This gives you half an hour in Preston to do a transfer AND have a coffee and bite to eat.
The next Glasgow train after that is a TPE leaving at 0900 arriving in Glasgow at 11:31. Obvs a transfer time of an hour and a quarter gives you time to be leisurely and less stressed but I don't trust TPE and their so-called bike policy.

If you take the very early Northern Rail to Carlisle via Ribblehead, arriving at 08:03, you'll have an hour and a quarter, approx, to transfer, get a bite to eat, etc and then get the Avanti train (that left Preston at 08:15) which leaves from Carlisle at 09:21.
I know which I'd do. Same train from Carlisle, but a much more leisurely transfer!

If you're getting up at silly o'clock to get the train, you may as well get up at very silly o'clock to get a slightly earlier one that will get you there via a prettier route and with less stress at train changes.