Wasn't expecting any replies tbh!
Looking at their website on their cycling policy, they say
First TransPennine Express welcomes customers who wish to combine bike and rail for commuting, business or for leisure.
There is a direct number for cycle enquiries - I would probably use this rather than mucking around at the ticket office, although it seems clear from the documents that you should be able to take the cycle on without booking as long as there is space.
Are you commuting everyday between the same stations? May be interesting to go to them when you have time, with a saved copy of their cycle terms and conditions to see why you are being mucked about. Clearly the weight limit thing is ludicrous.
I sometimes find posting on something like twitter or facebook with the company tagged will elicit a faster response than dealing with a bored station employee.
Good luck! Finally, if I was commuting regularly using bike and train, I would invest in a folding bicycle - they clearly state these can be carried on at all times as per any other item of luggage. Presuming, I suppose, that the weight doesn't compromise the train!
The staff at the station aren't interested. It's as if the train conductor and the station staff work for different companies.
Always carry a copy of the cycling policy with you...... preferably dated
That solves a lot of problems
.
Added to my ever growing sack of tricks.
Nope, I'll leave it for someone else...
To be fair, I was very, VERY angry.
The only way to get the train and cycle on smaller trains is a folding bike. I hate having to get a train with a bike at anytime of the day especially rush hour.
Have looked into this. How expensive is a bog-standard one though? I looked on
ebay and made in China, twist gear efforts are going for £300 second hand.
3/10.
More effort needed for the next attempt at a rant. More swearing and vitriol needed.
I'll make sure the
GoPro captures my final station meltdown.
Probably by the end of the week.
To see it from their view. (Not that I agree or endorse it) a full size bike is a big awkward shape to fit into a narrow tube shaped vehicle that is designed to maximise seating space over access/egress facility. It also has cables and sticky out handlebars that can get caught by people and cause it to fall onto them, it has a nasty oily chain & generally may be wet or dirty -any of which can *ruin* clothes, it has sharp pointy cogs especially exposed at the rear and often pedals with teeth that can take off skin or give you a nasty bruise if banged into - all things that an irate punter would be shouting at some poor train employee over and very likely demanding money to replace or dry clean clothes and/or free travel as compensation.
Unless (even?) bagged a folder can tick several of the 'will prompt a complaint' boxes too and not be popular with the operators and a management that is probably not stuffed with cyclists nor those sympathetic to our needs over those of the vast majority of non cycling passengers
They've created a problem by poor design affecting a, let's be honest, very small part of their customer base and mitigate it by trying to discourage/remove multi modal travel unless it suits them or they are pre warned about it.
That's fine. If they don't want bikes on their trains, I have no problem with that.
I use to commute 5days a week on trans pennine train... Some part of the journey saw upto 3-4 other cycles.
None of us booked them on, and no one blinked an eye at it.
Some times even more were on and we could just stand with them in the door spaces in other carriges.
I guess a lot of it comes down to the ticket office and the conductor.
If you travel early, or on an empty line, you are fine.
Also the deployment of Storm Troopers has only happened in the last couple of months since they upgraded the trains.
Don't suppose Northern Rail is an option? Just guessing - probably the slow trains
. But they are generally very good with bikes and cyclists. (A frequent and happy user
)
Not an option for me, sadly.
And I don't think it can hurt to treat the staff as human beings - saying "good morning" & "thanks" instead of waving your ticket in their direction while absorbed in your mobile phone.
I'm always polite for staff no matter how awkward they are. The exception was the train conductor on a Virgin Pendolino who forgot to let me off at my station. For the second day running.
I've never had a problem with a bike on a train but I don't use them much. However, some of the ticket office staff I met out East after a few night rides really should be sent to a taxidermist and displayed in a JobsWorth Museum.
Don't get me started. However, the bloke that told me to take my bike off because of weight limits was 5 foot, fat and ginger. Not sure people would pay to see that.
I've never had a problem with a bike on a train, and I use them a lot - but almost always outside the rush hours. As this is Commuting, isn't the problem that bikes just aren't very welcome at peak times, in the same way that people mutter with annoyance at large buggies and suitcases on wheels when trains are rammed?
Pretty much this. But my problem is that I get to the Station at 1710. How long do I wait for a train? FTP are always full now and the first Virgin train is always full. This means it's 2036 before I even get a shot at getting on.
I don't know if this is relevant information but it's mostly down to train/carriage types. I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that the trans pennine stopping train from sheffield to Manchester will take bikes without reservation. Both ends of the train have bike areas, and you can also fit them in the disabled areas if needs be.
The new trains have room for 2 bikes. The Virgin 6 mile long Pendelino has room for 4.
What a joke.
