Southern Trains & London Freewheel

[hackbike 6]

add to that the fact they allow people on board with cellos, double basses, double buggies, ladders and surfboards!..it really makes me angry

In all my years on the railway I don't think I have seen a surfboard getting on a train....Perhaps I missed the London - Brighton Surfboard ride and also I missed the London - Cambridge Double Buggy Race.Doh.

I still don't get why people would want to get on a rush hour train with a bike,but I have seen it done.Usually I refrain from saying anything unless I get complaints mindful of the fact I would get a mouth full of abuse.

Believe it or not these rules are made for a reason.

we went from paddington (sw trains) I think. No space available for bikes so I put them in 1st class...

Worst Great Western or First Great Western to you.

Wild West Trains or South West Trains as it is fondly called departs from Waterloo.

 

[Morrisette]

In all my years on the railway I don't think I have seen a surfboard getting on a train....

I have, in Cambridge. Also an 8 foot Tigger. He should have had his own ticket!

 

[LOGAN 5]

add to that the fact they allow people on board with cellos, double basses, double buggies, ladders and surfboards!..it really makes me angry

In all my years on the railway I don't think I have seen a surfboard getting on a train....Perhaps I missed the London - Brighton Surfboard ride and also I missed the London - Cambridge Double Buggy Race.Doh.

I still don't get why people would want to get on a rush hour train with a bike,but I have seen it done.Usually I refrain from saying anything unless I get complaints mindful of the fact I would get a mouth full of abuse.

Believe it or not these rules are made for a reason.



Worst Great Western or First Great Western to you.

Wild West Trains or South West Trains as it is fondly called departs from Waterloo.

People want to put their bikes on rush hour trains because they have to go to work in the rush hour and many have journeys not feasible by public transport at one end or the other. I used to live 5 miles from the station and there was no bus until 7am by which time I was already in London doing the second bit of my cycle commute. Why do you think people want to put bikes on trains in the rush hour, why don't you think it through? The altnernative is to drive which defeats the point of using alternative green/sustainable transport.

If I had a choice, which I don't, I'd travel outside the rush hour with a much cheaper ticket on empty trains with a full sized bike of my choosing instead of an expensive folder. We're not all lucky enough to be able to make the decisions you obviously can.

 

[hackbike 6]

If I had a choice, which I don't, I'd travel outside the rush hour with a much cheaper ticket on empty trains with a full sized bike of my choosing instead of an expensive folder. We're not all lucky enough to be able to make the decisions you obviously can.

What a snotty comment.You know nothing about the work I do and can only see it from one perspective.I have been cycling to and from Waterloo for the last almost twenty years.I have put up with this 1600 lark for all this time and have never moaned about it.I generally don't put my bike on the train between 1600 and 2200 hours as I don't like cramming with bike in packed trains and feel uncomfortable.Not really an option when I take the train in as I have never have the bike generally.(very rare I commute in by train) I have never owned a car as back up as well.
You have a choice if you don't like it get another job if you can't handle it.


I have a choice...I do shifts and yes I swap over for 5am turns but I can't always get away with in and end up with long turns that finish after 4pm.I also work 7 day stretches (and weekends where I can get a train most of the time) (except engineering works when it's a bus.)When all the 9-5ers are at home and the problem doesn't exist.

Don't make stupid comments in anger just because we don't agree.

 

[BentMikey]

What's train policy in the Netherlands on bikes during rush hour and other times?

 

[hackbike 6]

Oh yeah and another thing,why do people always compare our railways with different countries?

We live in Great Britain where we have crap railways (apparently) and a understaffed Police force apart from everything else.

I always get that,well in this country they do this and that blah blah blah.

I must admit though I was impressed with the Japanese Railways.
Never noticed any bikes getting on in the rush hour though sorry.

 

[Origamist]

What's train policy in the Netherlands on bikes during rush hour and other times?

I had no problem taking my bike on Dutch trains at non-peak times, but during the morning and evening rush hours there were restictions on bikes (in Amsterdam at least). Folders were OK in the rush-hour though. Most people park their bikes at the stations - 100s and 100s and it's quite a sight.

 

[Otto]

What's train policy in the Netherlands on bikes during rush hour and other times?

Last time I was there it was double decker trains with dedicated bike facilities

 

[hackbike 6]

Oh darn I forgot we haven't double got decker trains.

Hang on so have Spain/Japan never noticed it in Hong Kong,the last time I was there.

Barsteward railway employees it's all their fault.

The trouble I notice as Waterloo seems to be finding new space to put bikes as they all get filled up and bikes are left behind (fair enough) and dumped?

There are two bikes where I park my bike at work but where the hell did they come from as they look dumped and haven't moved for weeks.

 

[Otto]

add to that the fact they allow people on board with cellos, double basses, double buggies, ladders and surfboards!..it really makes me angry

In all my years on the railway I don't think I have seen a surfboard getting on a train....Perhaps I missed the London - Brighton Surfboard ride and also I missed the London - Cambridge Double Buggy Race.Doh.

I still don't get why people would want to get on a rush hour train with a bike,but I have seen it done.Usually I refrain from saying anything unless I get complaints mindful of the fact I would get a mouth full of abuse.

Believe it or not these rules are made for a reason.



Worst Great Western or First Great Western to you.

Wild West Trains or South West Trains as it is fondly called departs from Waterloo.

I get on during morning rush hour to get to work and strangely enough I get on duringt evening rush hour to get home....

And this morning there was a guy with a cello taking up the wheelchair space, whilst a wheelchair user sat between the carriages...

I often see a chap with a surfboard, and on guy with a 4x4 roof rack!

So please enlighten me as to the reason for the rule

 

[hackbike 6]

A lot of people travel in the rush hour.Doh.

It's the same railway as it was when I started working there...i.e platform length's have only been increased in a few places,passenger numbers have been increasing year after year (with basically the same lengh trains) and of course it's put in place because the railways hate cyclists.I know if I was wearing a suit I would not want to share it with a bike and possibly get covered in chain oil.

 

[Otto]

it's put in place because the railways hate cyclists.I know if I was wearing a suit I would not want to share it with a bike and possibly get covered in chain oil.

Well don't stand by the bikes then!

Seriously...don't you think some better provision could have been made with the advent of the the newer sliding door trains?...what would have been wrong with a guards van type of carriage as in the old slam doors? It seams to me that things weren't thought through, and the ban on cycles was brought in as an afterthought when the interaction between cyclists an other passengers proved a little fraught in the risibly inadequate facilities provided.

 

[hackbike 6]

Well don't stand by the bikes then!

Depends on luck of the draw I guess.

Seriously...don't you think some better provision could have been made with the advent of the the newer sliding door trains?

No doubt...we need a new whizzkid,when will you be joining the railways?

Southern Trains are DOO?No?(No guards brake.)
SWT the guard doesn't generally have a brake van apart from the goldfish bowl on Desiro's on 455's/458 cabs and slam doors were withdrawn about 4 years ago.Used to work a treat though.I worked on them many times.I think the railway is more geared to the individual punter and not the individual cyclist.(due to lack of investment in the past,lack of foresight but I don't think I could have seen 25 years into the future let alone being in the same job.)A five car 444 has 6 bike spaces but I don't make the rules up although I can see the reason for certain rules.

Cycle numbers have increased no? Due to the more expensive Public Transport option.When is the last time I used a bus?

Also with the expense of running a car.

The media hyping how nasty and dangerous those cyclists are blah blah blah

Taken from another thread...Now where else does this apply...oh silly me yeah the railways of which some of the press people seem to have a bias against.

 

[LOGAN 5]

If I had a choice, which I don't, I'd travel outside the rush hour with a much cheaper ticket on empty trains with a full sized bike of my choosing instead of an expensive folder. We're not all lucky enough to be able to make the decisions you obviously can.

What a snotty comment.You know nothing about the work I do and can only see it from one perspective.I have been cycling to and from Waterloo for the last almost twenty years.I have put up with this 1600 lark for all this time and have never moaned about it.I generally don't put my bike on the train between 1600 and 2200 hours as I don't like cramming with bike in packed trains and feel uncomfortable.Not really an option when I cycle in as I have never had the bike when I cycle in.I have never owned a car as back up as well.
You have a choice if you don't like it get another job if you can't handle it.


I have a choice...I do shifts and yes I swap over for 5am turns but I can't always get away with in and end up with long turns that finish after 4pm.I also work 7 day stretches (and weekends where I can get a train most of the time) (except engineering works when it's a bus.)When all the 9-5ers are at home and the problem doesn't exist.

Don't make stupid comments in anger just because we don't agree.

I'm not angry and don't expect to agree with everybody on here.

If you interpret my remarks as snotty and stupid that's your opinion.

You clearly have facility via your shift pattern to avoid travelling in the rush hour which suits your needs. Others including me do office hours so can't change when we travel is the point I was making. You can adjust your hours, I can't. I can't cycle all the way to work as it's too far so have to use the train and in the 21st century why can't I take a bike with me? I have a variety of cycling destinations whilst in London so need my bike at both ends. Telling somebody to change jobs if they can't handle it is a little silly. It would be better if train companies increased capacity on their trains to allow bikes in the rush hour - in dedicated spaces so you don't get oil on your trousers - rather than expecting their customers to change jobs so they don't have to use the trains any more

I guess we still disagree

 

[hackbike 6]

I'm not angry and don't expect to agree with everybody on here.

I agree.

If you interpret my remarks as snotty and stupid that's your opinion.

Never said stupid,at least I hope I didn't but the other it seemed to come came across as snotty if that is the right word,perhaps not.

You clearly have facility via your shift pattern to avoid travelling in the rush hour which suits your needs.

Untrue....I can change over occasionally.I do all sorts of shiftwork so I can generally tell when I am going to finish after 4pm and after midnight.

You seem to think because it suits me.Wrong I understand the cycling point of view but I also understand the railway point of view.
To tell you the truth sometimes I wished I had a 9-5 job much easier on an old fart like me.
Sometimes I want to get the train back like last night but I couldn't due to the rules and also my own rules which are...I don't want to get on a train which is jammed packed with people on it with a bike in tow

You can adjust your hours

Wrong,the railways adjust my hours sometimes to suit.
I can change over (sometimes) with someone who prefers 9-5 hours and actually finds it easier to travel at this time.(rarity)

Telling somebody to change jobs if they can't handle it is a little silly

I think it was meant slightly tongue in cheek.

It would be better if train companies increased capacity on their trains to allow bikes in the rush hour

No doubt Einstein but how do they do that?

That takes money and train planning.We are not talking about a Hornby Trainset here pal,there is someone in a office somewhere working out train working and pathing.Pathing is the thing that goes haywire when there is an incident like a fatality or a train breaking down which disrupts everything.

South West Trains only have a certain amount of trains and I know they have been short of trains recently.

I can't cycle all the way to work as it's too far so have to use the train and in the 21st century why can't I take a bike with me?

What has the 21st century got to do with it?Cant take cars on trains either.

I guess we still disagree

As I said I don't disagree with a lot of what you are saying but at a guess it would take lots of money to make it a more cycle friendly railway.

I still think it's come a long way since I started in the early 1980's although the old brake vans were better I grant you that,but this all comes down to money doesn't it?

Just out of interest where do you cycle commute from to?

Meant to put a as well.