Train travel with bike box
- Thread starter blackrat
- Start date
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Brandane
The Costa Clyde rain magnet.
Don't know, but I doubt it. And given that there is never any room left on the luggage rack of any train unless you are one of the first to board at the originating station - all I can say is good luck! You will probably end up having to abandon it in one of the foyer type areas between carriages (along with other people's oversized suitcases).
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
It depends on the train company and where you put it. If it's over 1m in any direction, in theory you can be charged extra for it, but I'm not sure how much and I've never seen it happen.
LNER have more crew than average, so are more likely to check, but if you check the layout diagram for the train you're using (sometimes the easiest way is to try to reserve a seat), you might spot either a large luggage rack or some other open area. Don't put it in the seats except as a last resort because if you do, I suspect you'll get told to move unless it's really quiet. If it's an LNER Azuma, coaches B and L look like your best bets for a large luggage cupboard. And I'd try to avoid carrying it into the buffet coach where staff will almost always see it!
LNER have more crew than average, so are more likely to check, but if you check the layout diagram for the train you're using (sometimes the easiest way is to try to reserve a seat), you might spot either a large luggage rack or some other open area. Don't put it in the seats except as a last resort because if you do, I suspect you'll get told to move unless it's really quiet. If it's an LNER Azuma, coaches B and L look like your best bets for a large luggage cupboard. And I'd try to avoid carrying it into the buffet coach where staff will almost always see it!
Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
Liverpool Street to Chelmsford is Greater Anglia, not LNER. What most people with oversize luggage seem to do on those trains is use the cycle spaces (or occasionally the accessible carriage spaces) and dump their stuff in. Look for a green stripe at the top of the carriage - usually coach D, but the Stansted Express trains used on the same route have a few more bike spaces while the slower 'stoppers' have fewer.
Edited to add: If you book the train in advance, you can reserve the cycle space at the same time. That it's in a bike box shouldn't be a problem
Edited to add: If you book the train in advance, you can reserve the cycle space at the same time. That it's in a bike box shouldn't be a problem
Last edited:
Liverpool Street to Chelmsford is Greater Anglia, not LNER. What most people with oversize luggage seem to do on those trains is use the cycle spaces (or occasionally the accessible carriage spaces) and dump their stuff in. Look for a green stripe at the top of the carriage - usually coach D, but the Stansted Express trains used on the same route have a few more bike spaces while the slower 'stoppers' have fewer.
Edited to add: If you book the train in advance, you can reserve the cycle space at the same time. That it's in a bike box shouldn't be a problem
Confusing. When I go to the LNER site they show trains to Chelmsford from Liverpool Street.
BTW: Weren't all the trains going to be re-nationalised?
Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
You can buy tickets from any train operator, even if they don't run any services on that line. Easiest to do is book direct through Greater Anglia themselves and there's a cycle reservation option as part of the booking process: https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/
Greater Anglia are one of the train operating companies recently nationalised.
Gwylan
Guru
- Location
- All at sea⛵
Try the Unicorn of the rail network, a bike booking on GWR.
Even if you manage to book a bike space you can expect to find it locked, full of un booked bikes or occupied by unseated passengers.
Or that train doesn't arrive.
Even if you manage to book a bike space you can expect to find it locked, full of un booked bikes or occupied by unseated passengers.
Or that train doesn't arrive.
Not a fan, then?
Gwylan
Guru
- Location
- All at sea⛵
Try getting or even using a bike booking to Cardiff or Bristol. Two of my regular destinations.
I just keep collecting the free drink vouchers and the delay repay.
But it's not a lifestyle.
This from LNER today:
"Thank you for contacting London North Eastern Railway:
We do not operate services between London Liverpool Street and Chelmsford, These services are operated by Greater Anglia.
We would not expect your Bike Box to be an issue onboard there service, provided you travel Off-peak."
So, apart from 'their' grammatical spelling error, it's all good.
"Thank you for contacting London North Eastern Railway:
We do not operate services between London Liverpool Street and Chelmsford, These services are operated by Greater Anglia.
We would not expect your Bike Box to be an issue onboard there service, provided you travel Off-peak."
So, apart from 'their' grammatical spelling error, it's all good.
Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
As I said earlier, book with Greater Anglia and reserve a bike space - the Intercity class 745s have 6 spaces on each train in coach D
In theory ALL bikes have to have a pre-booked reservation on the Intercity route, but I've never seen this being checked.
In theory ALL bikes have to have a pre-booked reservation on the Intercity route, but I've never seen this being checked.
