Virgin East Coast Line website revamp bad news

[captain offensive]

Someone mentioned southern here. I've been looking at east coast, southern and south-eastern websites last few days and they are all moving to the same new system. Not an issue for southern and se as they don't do bike bookings anyway.

For now you can indeed still use the old east coast system (which i did to book trains to inverness just the other day fine).

[mjr]

I think cyclist here who use them should email them and tell them it isnt good enough to have to phone to make a cycle reservation and wont make a new account

Virgin Trains East Coast

Freepost RTUH-TUGH-GCLZ

Cramlington

NE23 1WG

03457225333

Email: customers@virgintrainseastcoast.com

Grumpygram sent, asking for a reply explaining this madness.

[pete75]

I think cyclist here who use them should email them and tell them it isnt good enough to have to phone to make a cycle reservation and wont make a new account

Virgin Trains East Coast

Freepost RTUH-TUGH-GCLZ

Cramlington

NE23 1WG

03457225333

Email: customers@virgintrainseastcoast.com

Grumpygram sent, asking for a reply explaining this madness.

It's not madness if they want to discourage the carriage of bikes.

[mjr]

Email: customers@virgintrainseastcoast.com

Grumpygram sent, asking for a reply explaining this madness.

It's not madness if they want to discourage the carriage of bikes.

Wanting to do that would be madness, too.

[Sweep]

Grumpygram sent, asking for a reply explaining this madness.

Please report back.

I will try and send one as well.

Did you send one mercalia?

[pete75]

Grumpygram sent, asking for a reply explaining this madness.

It's not madness if they want to discourage the carriage of bikes.

Wanting to do that would be madness, too.

Not from their point of view. They want to get trains on the move at intermediate stations as quickly as possible particularly when it can help make up lost time. Bikes slow down the process. I doubt they're at all bothered about any small loss of revenue it might cause.

[mjr]

It's not madness if they want to discourage the carriage of bikes.

Wanting to do that would be madness, too.

Not from their point of view. They want to get trains on the move at intermediate stations as quickly as possible particularly when it can help make up lost time. Bikes slow down the process. I doubt they're at all bothered about any small loss of revenue it might cause.

The quickest way to get trains moving is no customers at all. I think the East coast franchise actually costs the operator money (unlike some) so that doesn't seem like a good aim.

[pete75]

Wanting to do that would be madness, too.

Not from their point of view. They want to get trains on the move at intermediate stations as quickly as possible particularly when it can help make up lost time. Bikes slow down the process. I doubt they're at all bothered about any small loss of revenue it might cause.

The quickest way to get trains moving is no customers at all. I think the East coast franchise actually costs the operator money (unlike some) so that doesn't seem like a good aim.

Be sensible! The loss of cyclists custom , if that's what they're aiming for, would have negligible economic effect and maybe a positive one if timekeeping improved - don't they get fines for lateness. If this is their aim it's hardly madness though describing it as such may well be particularly as it's beta software we're discussing and the loss of bike booking may well just be an oversight which will be rectified.

[mjr]

The quickest way to get trains moving is no customers at all. I think the East coast franchise actually costs the operator money (unlike some) so that doesn't seem like a good aim.

Be sensible! The loss of cyclists custom , if that's what they're aiming for, would have negligible economic effect and maybe a positive one if timekeeping improved - don't they get fines for lateness.

I'm just taking your theory to its conclusion, thereby illustrating the absurdity of a business intentionally turning away paying customers who are likely to be among its most frequent and longest distance - in other words, I don't believe they want fewer customers.

If this is their aim it's hardly madness though describing it as such may well be particularly as it's beta software we're discussing and the loss of bike booking may well just be an oversight which will be rectified.

Here's hoping!

[pete75]

The quickest way to get trains moving is no customers at all. I think the East coast franchise actually costs the operator money (unlike some) so that doesn't seem like a good aim.

Be sensible! The loss of cyclists custom , if that's what they're aiming for, would have negligible economic effect and maybe a positive one if timekeeping improved - don't they get fines for lateness.

I'm just taking your theory to its conclusion, thereby illustrating the absurdity of a business intentionally turning away paying customers who are likely to be among its most frequent and longest distance - in other words, I don't believe they want fewer customers.

The most frequent? Whenever I've booked bike spaces on East Coast they've always been available. More often than not no other bikes on. It depends on the economic cost of each type of traveller vs fares collected. If they've noticed any effect on train punctuality from loading bikes they will take "soft" measures to discourage bikes and at the same time state they encourage cycling and train use.
BTW one of the staff at Grantham station said the new Japanese Azuma trains will have bike spaces in the carriages so you can just load your own which may be quicker.

[Sweep]

[
The most frequent? Whenever I've booked bike spaces on East Coast they've always been available..

Not my experience, which is not a criticism of east coast.
I have quite often gone online to book a ticket and then found on the last stage of booking that no bike space is available.
Of course this is yet another argument for online bike booking as it is then relatively simple to hunt for another train.
One thing I have always been frustrated by is the apparent inability to return/release an unwanted bike booking. Once or twice i have changed plans and not needed the bike space.
I will try to write to east coast about their new web system and report back.

[Toffee]

One thing I have always been frustrated by is the apparent inability to return/release an unwanted bike booking. Once or twice i have changed plans and not needed the bike space.

A situation I have at the moment. Got 2 bikes reservations on the wick Inverness route that we will not be using due to circumstances beyond our control, but I don't know of a way of cancelling the reservation.

[toontra]

One thing I have always been frustrated by is the apparent inability to return/release an unwanted bike booking. Once or twice i have changed plans and not needed the bike space.

A situation I have at the moment. Got 2 bikes reservations on the wick Inverness route that we will not be using due to circumstances beyond our control, but I don't know of a way of cancelling the reservation.

Probably the only way is to go to the nearest station with a manned ticket office and see if they can cancel. Bike spaces on the Wick-Inverness route are like hen's teeth!

[mjr]

No reply yet, but I have noticed that Cyclenation, Cycling UK and Sustrans are aware of this and also working on it. The cycle reservation requirement was "de-scoped from the initial launch" but should be back shortly.

If I've understood it correctly, the next regular cycle forum with the rail industry will be 13th September - interested local groups should have heard of this but if not, I think you need to get your group to contact Simon Geller (if it's a CN group), Roger Geffen (CUK) or Martyn Brunt (Sustrans).

[monxton]

Meanwhile, here's a helpful summary of the booking engines used by the different TOCs: http://saveecrewards.co.uk/cycling/bike-reservation-online.