Merseyrail and bikes

[headcoat]

Today on regular train/cycle commute, I was told by the guard to move my bike from leaning against the track side doors. He said that if a train comes the other way a vacuum can cause the doors to shake and my bike would somehow make the doors open, its also a fire escape.

This is the first time I have heard of this, and regularly people lean against the doors and put bikes. there.

As there are only 4 official bike spaces on the train this would mean if they were all full I would not be able to get on, this is what he also confirmed. So I could potentially be waiting at the platform all day for a clear space.

Sound ridiculous and I hope they are not cracking down on this, as it just won't work.

 

[classic33]

If the doors open inwards how is a drop in air pressure, on the outside going to force the doors in?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/507001_Hunts_Cross.jpg
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:508141-LiverpoolLS-01.jpg
both have sliding doors. Held shut by a pneumatic system, designed to hold the doors shut.

Trackside door is not a fire exit under normal circumstances. In an emergency you are requested to follow the instructions on the safety information & disembark on the side away from oncoming trains(trackside).

 

[jarlrmai]

Just don't put your feet on the seats!

 

[dasy2k1]

Passing trains air pressure can cause the doors to shake -- true
a bike leaning on them could then make them open -- false
the bike could fall over and fall on someone's foot, get in the way, get chain oil over someone's expensive trousers --- true
The door is a potential emergency exit -- true (and there are island platforms on the line that use the offside doors

it is better to park your bike in the vestuable at 90 deg to the doors so as not to block passage wherever possible, also on the class 507/508 trains used by mersyrail the bike space (in the middle carrage IIRC) can fit more than 4 bikes if you cram them in, you can also fit another few in the wheelchair spaces if they are not required for wheelchairs (or baby buggies) at the time

 

[matthat]

I can't believe the op is having a moan about Merseyrail! We're probably one of the luckiest regions of cyclists for having a train network where you don't have to book a space or pay for bike space!! I feel lucky that I can go out for 40 or 50 miles and if I have any major mechanical failure I can make it to a station and get a ride home!! I have had an issue with a gobby woman who didn't want to move her pram out of the way so I could put bike in rack so she could then put pram back against my bike (I was going end to end on the line) she got up and moved down the carriage and decided to throw obscenities at me down the carriage!! I tried but gave up to explain that there was plenty of space there now for her to park her pram in the bike bay!! going back to op I would always hold my bike if I end up standing in centre area of carriage out of care for bike and also risk of injury to other passengers .(just my opinions.)

 

[Lancj1]

Mersey trains are good. The Livepool / Wirral line under the Mersey I have no problems on whatsoever.

 

[on the road]

Today on regular train/cycle commute, I was told by the guard to move my bike from leaning against the track side doors. He said that if a train comes the other way a vacuum can cause the doors to shake and my bike would somehow make the doors open, its also a fire escape.

This is the first time I have heard of this, and regularly people lean against the doors and put bikes. there.

As there are only 4 official bike spaces on the train this would mean if they were all full I would not be able to get on, this is what he also confirmed. So I could potentially be waiting at the platform all day for a clear space.

Sound ridiculous and I hope they are not cracking down on this, as it just won't work.

That's the first I've heard. But in any case I never lean my bike against the doors but only because I don't want it to fall. I'm sure they would have made sure the doors couldn't open in those situations otherwise it would have happened by now and the train company would have been sued.

 

[on the road]

To the OP, are you sure it was the guard and not one of the general staff walking through the train with a bin bag? The guards don't usually leave their cabin other than to step outside when the train is at the platform waiting to give the signal to close the doors. The general staff usually get on at one stop, walk through the train with a bin bag collecting bits of rubbish and then get off at the next stop or two. Occasionally ticket inspectors might walk through the train (on rare occasions) checking tickets but they're not guards either.

 

[neil_merseyside]

We go on club rides 15-20 strong on Merseyrail and so easily use all the bike and wheelchair spaces, and some of the vestibules (and have done on dozens of occasions), only once been asked to not lean a bike against a door - driver swapping ends at Ormskirk said we couldn't do that and had to hold them upright, the guard was also swapping ends and said ignore the newbie (driver was about 12 - well very young like policeman these days) and to just lean them carefully on the doors and get out of the way until/unless we had to move them for people or stations. Sandhills is an island station but we usually get off there anyway.
As long as a cyclist is near their bike and it is parked nicely no-one bats an eye as a rule. We've been on trips with revenue and BTP on board and they are all chatty and friendly to a man/woman.

 

[headcoat]

It was the ticket collector who asked me to move it.

 

[headcoat]

This is response I received from Customer Services

Thank you for your e-mail.

The safety and well being of our customers is our main concern, and such matters are taken very seriously. Wherever possible we ask customers to use the designated bike bays on our trains, but, of course, if they are full customers can use elsewhere in the train. Should the train be full, guards may occasionally ask customers with bikes to board a later train.

As platforms can be on either side we would rather customers did not lean their bikes against the doors so as not to cause an obstruction to other customers. However, train doors are frequently tested to ensure that they are working correctly and safely, and I am not aware of any recent occasions when any doors have opened between stations our trains.

Once again thank you for taking the time to contact us and please do not hesitate to contact me again if you wish to discuss this matter any further.

 

[headcoat]

I wasn't moaning about them, it just seemed to be jobs worth. This incident happened around 7 in the morning, so no one else in the central bit that it would cause harm to.

The way I place the bike, it would not fall over and doubt it would fall out the door if this was opened, on my route they only open the one door for my journey.

 

[neil_merseyside]

on my route they only open the one door for my journey.

The one door? Not Merseyrail then!

Do you perhaps mean just one side? though that's actually 6-12 doors!