Online booking of bike spaces on trains.

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Virgin (the only run the west coast now) always have two reserved bike seats in carriage A next to the bike storage. Only found out as a guard told us. The stressful bit us worrying you will not be able to get the bike off if your stop is not the terminus.

Meanwhile in Italy every orher carriage takes bikes.
 

NorthernDave

Never used Über Member
Are they going on a RyanAir customer services course? :smile:

+ 1 to northern's current bike policy.

If they change this, will probably abandon them.

The rumour is that the much trumpeted new trains Northern are getting to replace the Pacers don't have as much (or possibly any) space for bikes as the stock they're replacing, and as a consequence they are considering "folders only" during peak periods, which currently seem to be before 9:30am and 4:00-6:30pm.
It's impossible to get a sensible answer out of them regarding this at the moment.
 
Location
London
Virgin (the only run the west coast now) always have two reserved bike seats in carriage A next to the bike storage. Only found out as a guard told us. The stressful bit us worrying you will not be able to get the bike off if your stop is not the terminus.

Meanwhile in Italy every orher carriage takes bikes.
Yes, I'm usually getting off at the terminus. It's important to find the train manager on getting on to tell them that you will need letting off. Their base is some sort of mini cubicle somewhere near the middle of the train but they do go wandering a bit. Thanks to the seating near the bike you can pop into the storage to check that your bike remains on the outside of the bunch if you need to get off pronto.

I am afraid Italy is actually worse than the UK with regard to bikes on trains - I fear you might be falling into the trap of slagging of us Brits in comparison to our supposedly more enlightened euro partners - very common these days. In Italy, last time I checked, you actually have to buy your bike a separate ticket. Yes, buy. Even though in the bit of Italy I used trains and bikes the trains were often virtually empty - cos Italians are car addicted and would rather drive - even, notoriously, virtually to cross the street. Not wanting to treat my bike to a separate ticket, or buy it a romantic meal for a dirty weekend, I used two types of folders - a Brompton and a Dahon folder. But I once had to pay for the Dahon.

Again last time I checked Italian rail used to have a special day, repeat single day, per year, when you could take your bike with you for free. O thank you oh mighty baron, Trenitalia, we are not worthy.
 
Last edited:
Location
London
Fair point. Train fares in Italy have always been more sensible. Guess I just resent paying extra for my bike. And it does nothing to encourage cycling as transport, which needs serious encouragement in Italy to shift perceptions.

Can't quite remember the charge for the bike - from memory either the same as you or half of your fare.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
An East coast person one accused me of making their train late because of my bike loading and when we hit London brought a more senior chap along to hurry me off the train! Incredible.

Loading a bike on East Coast can be a hairy experience.

They want the bike shoved on in seconds, and you then have to get back on the platform to re-board the train, which will not wait.

If you dithered for a second or two it would be possible to be left stranded on the platform as the train leaves with your bike.

Presumably the rush is because compensation can be paid for lateness.
 
Location
London
yes I figured that that was the reason pale rider - though pretty sure my bike loading would not trigger a penalty. Train has to be half an hour late for any passenger compensation.

But your post has made me decide to favour West Coast to Preston or Manchester - a very nice experience.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
The rumour is that the much trumpeted new trains Northern are getting to replace the Pacers don't have as much (or possibly any) space for bikes as the stock they're replacing, and as a consequence they are considering "folders only" during peak periods, which currently seem to be before 9:30am and 4:00-6:30pm.
It's impossible to get a sensible answer out of them regarding this at the moment.
Ask or Neal Armstrong(genuine) when you phone.

But between getting rolling stock whose power units don't catch fire and then finding out the brakes don't work. Carrying passengers seems to be down their list somewhat.
 
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/bike-bag-black-grey-id_8023151.html

You take the front wheel off the bike, put it in this ( it’s luggage then, not a bike ) when you get off, this bag folds into another much smaller bag, which attatches to the crossbar with Velcro straps, when you get back on the train, repeat the original steps.
 
Having read right through this, and my own observations when I was a delivery driver for Mercedes-Benz, I'd have to say that the train companies do the little that they do because they just don't care. It's simply of zero importance to them in the overall scheme of things.
 

Supersuperleeds

Legendary Member
Location
Leicester
You need to get down here. East Midlands Trains are fantastic with bikes. No need to book and despite a two bikes per train policy they tend to be very relaxed about enforcing it, we regularly take three bikes on them and have had five of us a few times.
 
Location
London
Must admit my last memory of east midlands trains, without a bike, was awful - not enough room for decent amount of carry on luggage - folk had to block the aisles with their cases.
 
Top Bottom