SimonCelsa wrote:Anyone got any info regarding South East trains & bike carriage??
Looking to disembark the Newhaven ferry on an August mid afternoon (15.30 ish) & get upto London to catch the Caledonian Sleeper (21:00 ish)
Not enough time to cycle it so will have to use the train. I believe it goes via Brighton or Lewes with a couple of changes......is it a lot of hassle? Will have minimal luggage, a couple of small panniers, but the bike is not foldable.
Cheers
These are Southern trains not South Eastern and maybe Thameslink depending on which station you want in London. You don't say what day of the week you are travelling, but assuming it's a weekday it looks as though you will have problems with Thameslink at that time of the day.
Southern use Electrostar units from Lewes and have space for 2 cycles per unit in the disabled access part. The units are 3, 4 and 5 car units so depending on the configuration of the train there will be a minimum of 2 spaces, but disabled people have priority. However depending how busy the train is staff are usually relaxed about standing with cycles. I've never had a problem or seen other people have problems but that's not a guarantee there won't be.
However Thameslink don't allow cycles on trains leaving Brighton in the afternoon, but I don't know how they prevent people changing onto them at, say Haywards Heath.
If you look on the National Rail website and click on details of the journey you can check about cycles on a particular train service.
I note Southern allow cycles on trains in the afternoon on weekdays from Lewes to Victoria, but Thameslink do not permit cycles to St Pancras.
Essentially travel by Southern to London is OK, but not Thameslink. Weekends will be different but then there is often rail works.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.