UK Trains - Online bike reservations

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
PH
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote:What about the Glasgow to Edinburgh then all the way down through Berwick, Newcastle, Darlington, York, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, and to Plymouth train?
What happens if someone books a bike Glasgow to Berwick and doesn't turn up?

Nothing happens, the space remains booked, there's nothing to tell the booking system that it's become available, no one else can book it.
What happens if someone wants to book Birmingham to Bristol on the same train but doesn't book until the train has left Berwick?

I don't understand what the question is? The booking from Glasgow to Berwick isn't going to effect the availability from Birmingham to Bristol whether it's used or not. Or did you think that by booking a portion of the journey you'd booked the lot? This certainly isn't the case, I've been on long train journeys where you can't get on without a reservation, yet there might have been 6 or 7 bikes over the course of the trip without there ever being more than 3 at a time.
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

Maybe I wasn't clear enough.
The lady behind the glass at the ticket office at Plymouth said ................. that if you don't turn up, the bike space then becomes available for someone else to book. You can book as low as 2hrs before the train arrives.

If someone didn't turn up at Glasgow, the vacant space is then bookable 2hrs later.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote:Maybe I wasn't clear enough.
The lady behind the glass at the ticket office at Plymouth said ................. that if you don't turn up, the bike space then becomes available for someone else to book. You can book as low as 2hrs before the train arrives.

If someone didn't turn up at Glasgow, the vacant space is then bookable 2hrs later.

I'll leave it at this, just to say me experience differs from what you've been told, it'd be good if you were right and me wrong. Next time I'm on a GWR train (Probably June) I'll ask the conductor/manager what they do with the information when I board the train.
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

I'll bow to your experience, as I have none at all.
I can only say what was said to me when I asked specific questions.
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote:I'll bow to your experience, as I have none at all.
I can only say what was said to me when I asked specific questions.

I'm not discounting that I may be wrong, or out of date, it's possible things change.
It's one of those instances where I'll be happy to be wrong.
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

My only worry is that they keep their side of the bargain.
I want to get the train at Taunton for Plymouth, and if I can't get my bike on, I'll be stuffed.
I'll have to stay the night somewhere, and cycle the 75miles home the following morning. I'd have already cycled to Taunton the previous day.

The prospect of a 150mile round trip seems a bit too much in the one day .............. mind you, it would be quite an achievement for me.

I'd have to take lights as well.
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote:My only worry is that they keep their side of the bargain.

My experience is that although it doesn't always go exactly to plan, I've never (Yet) failed to get where I was planning. I have come across a couple of jobsworths, but they're outnumbered by the vast majority of staff who are helpful.
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Littgull »

I've had two separate occasions where I've been left stranded due to replacement bus services usedfor part of my journey home after a very long ride that don't take bikes. These were not flagged up when I booked and paid for the tickets. Staff were empathetic but could offer no alternative!!
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

Littgull wrote:I've had two separate occasions where I've been left stranded due to replacement bus services usedfor part of my journey home after a very long ride that don't take bikes. These were not flagged up when I booked and paid for the tickets. Staff were empathetic but could offer no alternative!!
Did you get your ticket money back?
How did you get home?
Mick F. Cornwall
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by bikepacker »

Mick F wrote:My only worry is that they keep their side of the bargain.
I want to get the train at Taunton for Plymouth, and if I can't get my bike on, I'll be stuffed.


Cross Country Trains run that route and there is always one unreserved bike space. In my experience of them you would have an excellent chance of getting on with your bike. I know a lady that regularly travels between Cheltenham and Plymouth on CC with her bike, she never has a cycle reservation and at worst she had to wait for the next train.
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

CC run that route, I know. It starts in Glasgow, crosses to Edinburgh, then comes down the NE to Birmingham, then Westerly to Plymouth. I took that train the other direction some years ago to Edinburgh with my bike. No booking.
I was in a good place on that train as it started in Plymouth, and I was first on. Also got a cheap 1st Class ticket.

My issue is getting on a train part-way through its journey. The Glasgow to Plymouth CC train is a nightmare to me as I'll be getting on a train that started more than 500miles previously and all I want is the last 75miles. Who knows what will be hanging in the (only) half a dozen (or is it only four?) slots for bikes on that train?
Could be full of LEJOGers from Newcastle ........................ who didn't book at all. :wink:

On Monday 25th June, the CC trains are too early for me.
It'll be the GWR from Paddington arriving 19:51 at Taunton that I'll be getting.
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RickH
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by RickH »

Littgull wrote:I've had two separate occasions where I've been left stranded due to replacement bus services usedfor part of my journey home after a very long ride that don't take bikes. These were not flagged up when I booked and paid for the tickets. Staff were empathetic but could offer no alternative!!

Just to clarify, you won't - or at least are extremely unlikely to - get a bike on a scheduled bus replacement. It is worth checking if there is anything planned, especially for weekend travel.

It is likely to be different on an unplanned replacement.

I was travelling back down from Glasgow on the West Coast line one time (I'd been up for a long weekend) & had booked a train for the Monday as there was a scheduled line closure with bus replacements over the weekend. However one of the engineering trains had derailed so the line was still shut between Carlisle & Preston. I was slightly concerned about what would happen but they put my bike in the hold of one of the coaches without batting an eyelid. The only thing they did was put me on first on the next coach rather than the one that was already loading which probably only delayed things an extra 10 minutes. As I was delayed more than 30 minutes I got my fare refunded as well.
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Littgull
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Littgull »

Mick F wrote:
Littgull wrote:I've had two separate occasions where I've been left stranded due to replacement bus services usedfor part of my journey home after a very long ride that don't take bikes. These were not flagged up when I booked and paid for the tickets. Staff were empathetic but could offer no alternative!!
Did you get your ticket money back?
How did you get home?


No, a bit daft really but on both occasions I phoned Mrs Littgull who valiantly drove a considerable distance in our car and fetched me and the bike. It wouldn't be possible now as I recently retired and we no longer own or have access to a car.
I have since heard via cycling chums that the train operators do empower station staff to authorise 'customer with bike' taxi travel on bus replacement line sections. But that this is only in exceptional circumstance such as ticket purchased prior to notice being given of closed line section and/or no other alternative (even if longer journey time) by train to paid for destination. But even this workaround is unviable if the train you needed to catch and cancelled due to the line closure was an unmanned station.
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by MikeF »

I don't have any experience of booking bikes on trains although I have taken them on trains that don't need booking. If the bike is stored out of sight do you lock it? Pete661's experience of having his bike stolen from a Southern train makes me think more cautiously.

The whole system of booking bikes on trains is absurd. It's not necessary for other "luggage" eg non folding pushchairs. We need to be campaigning about these restrictions on modern trains! There used to be little problem with older trains.
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by simonwoodward66 »

Does anyone have any knowledge or advice about the current situation with advance fares?

I'm planning to do Jogle with a friend in June but the current situation with advance fares is causing me serious concerns. I can book tickets from Brum to Glasgow with bike reservations but can't book bike reservations beyond Glasgow till the 5th May.


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