Bikes on Trains UK - what do I need to know

[pete75]

I'm wondering what happens if you have a reservation, but the bike spaces are taken by bikes that are not reserved? I made a journey with a folder recently and spoke to another cyclist on board who'd just hung his bike up without a reservation, so no vacant bike spaces remained.

I think you would have to find the guard, show your reservation and they would have to sort it out. If someone is on without a reservation I think they would be asked to get off the train

Is it likely the guard is going to walk all the way down the train asking each passenger if they've put a bike on without a bike reservation when only a very few minutes are allowed for each station stop.

[mnichols]

I'm wondering what happens if you have a reservation, but the bike spaces are taken by bikes that are not reserved? I made a journey with a folder recently and spoke to another cyclist on board who'd just hung his bike up without a reservation, so no vacant bike spaces remained.

I think you would have to find the guard, show your reservation and they would have to sort it out. If someone is on without a reservation I think they would be asked to get off the train

Is it likely the guard is going to walk all the way down the train asking each passenger if they've put a bike on without a bike reservation when only a very few minutes are allowed for each station stop.

On the other hand you don't really have a problem until the guard turns up, unless it's a packed train. I'd just stand there with my bike

[mjr]

I'm wondering what happens if you have a reservation, but the bike spaces are taken by bikes that are not reserved? I made a journey with a folder recently and spoke to another cyclist on board who'd just hung his bike up without a reservation, so no vacant bike spaces remained.

I think you would have to find the guard, show your reservation and they would have to sort it out. If someone is on without a reservation I think they would be asked to get off the train

Is it likely the guard is going to walk all the way down the train asking each passenger if they've put a bike on without a bike reservation when only a very few minutes are allowed for each station stop.

Yes, if the train company does not manage the stations because delays caused by the loading of unreserved bicycles are paid for by the station company that let them on!

[pete75]

I think you would have to find the guard, show your reservation and they would have to sort it out. If someone is on without a reservation I think they would be asked to get off the train

Is it likely the guard is going to walk all the way down the train asking each passenger if they've put a bike on without a bike reservation when only a very few minutes are allowed for each station stop.

Yes, if the train company does not manage the stations because delays caused by the loading of unreserved bicycles are paid for by the station company that let them on!

Yes but how do they know which station let them on and would anyone with an unreserved bike be fool enough to admit it?

[brianleach]

I had this on a Cross Country service from Sheffield to Winchester last year.

I stood the whole way moving my bike from side to side as necessary at each station.

Apparently I became famous as each guard called ahead to his replacement to let them know I was on the train!!

I gave my seat reservation to another passenger as it was obvious I wouldn't be needing it.

It is luck of the draw however as this year I used the same company from Winchester to Manchester Piccadilly en route to the Cycle Touring Festival in Clitheroe and the booking system worked perfectly (except having to remove panniers etc)

[Slowroad]

Used LNER to get from Newark to York last Friday, and back again on Tuesday. Bit of an odd experience! At Newark a member of staff helped me get my bike and luggage on the train - I had to take the panniers off and hang it up. All was well at York, the terminating station. At York on the way back, it was an older train with bike stands in an old-style guard's van. I was several carriages away, through First Class, so had to get back to the nearest exit in plenty of time. Got off and went to the locked guard's van, but no-one came to unlock the door - I hung onto the handle and shouted till eventually they saw me and came running! I do hope that they wouldn't have driven off with me there... Fullsome apologies though, and all blamed on the staff at York, who should have let them know...
But how come LNER make it so complicated when on other intercity services you can just get on and off by yourself? I guess it's the rolling stock they have. But I shall look at other routes in future if I can!

[mjr]

But how come LNER make it so complicated when on other intercity services you can just get on and off by yourself? I guess it's the rolling stock they have. But I shall look at other routes in future if I can!

LNER are phasing out their stock with vans at the moment. They will probably be gone by next year. Anglia are about to phase out their vans too. As you note, the advantage is getting oneself on/off but the disadvantage of the new trains is fewer bikes per train: 5 max on LNER, 6 on Anglia.

[Slowroad]

Slowroad wrote:
But how come LNER make it so complicated when on other intercity services you can just get on and off by yourself? I guess it's the rolling stock they have. But I shall look at other routes in future if I can!


LNER are phasing out their stock with vans at the moment. They will probably be gone by next year. Anglia are about to phase out their vans too. As you note, the advantage is getting oneself on/off but the disadvantage of the new trains is fewer bikes per train: 5 max on LNER, 6 on Anglia.

One of the staff did comment about the new trains, said that they would mean hanging up bikes, and that there is only room for bikes with narrow dropbars, not mountain bkes, etc.

[Sweep]

One of the staff did comment about the new trains, said that they would mean hanging up bikes, and that there is only room for bikes with narrow dropbars, not mountain bkes, etc.

If that's true, that makes them useless.

[shipcote]

First experience of taking a bike on one of the new LNER Azumas last week (25th August) Train from Newcastle to Darlington then cycle to Northallerton to watch the World time trial championship. As I am sure a lot of travelers already know, cycle accommodation is in two narrow locked cupboards, each with space for 2 bikes, either side of the corridor at the end of one of the coaches.

Boarded at Newcastle, station staff opened cupboard, confronted with 2 hooks on the wall to hang front wheel over, first impression was that this looks a bit tight, attempted to place front wheel on hook but unable to do so as gap between wall and hook too narrow ! wheel had a deep rim with a 700 by 38mm tyre. LNER gentleman not surprised as apparently this has started to become a regular occurrence as the new trains are gradually introduced.

Luckily the train was very quiet and I was allowed to continue with the front wheel in the cupboard and the rear protruding into the corridor as long as I stood with it. If their had already been a cycle occupying one the spaces in the cupboard or the train had been busier I almost certainly would have been asked to catch a later, different type of train due to obstructing the corridor.
LNER must have been aware of this problem for some time now but I am unaware of what if anything they intend to do to rectify the problem which appears to be as a result of poor design, surely the designers must have been aware that a large proportion of cyclists use bikes with wide tyres ? I am waiting for a reply from LNER to my complaint.

In the near future Trans Pennine Express intend to extend their Liverpool/Manchester to Newcastle services to Edinburgh using their own version (called Novas) of the LNER Azuma both built by Hitachi which I suspect will have a very similar layout ?

[horizon]

It is worth noting that on the new GWR IET trains, the bicycle reserved indicators above the cycle compartments don't work (on any train) so show that the space is available when in fact it might not be. In theory, guards can control this by insisting that you have a reservation and preventing those that don't from boarding. In practice everyone just gets on with it, especially if the train isn't too busy. There are other anomalies too in that booking a bike space might put your bike in the wrong 5 car section of the train and it will be left behind at Plymouth while you speed on to Penzance.

[Oldjohnw]

Thanks for this info. Will try to avoid although Cross Country are difficult enough. The LNER 125s and 225s are Ok. Despite otherwise being pretty rough, Northern are usually good with bikes.

[Sweep]

Meanwhile LNER, like Virgin west coast, continues to send me what they consider to be hip/chatty/we are your coolest friend promo garbage:

Latest pasted from one of their mailings, this:

@@

did someone say #TRAINBOW?!
This summer, together with our charity partner CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), we’ve been showing our love for the LGBT+ community and celebrating Pride in style with our very own Pride Train!

Because we believe in making our trains an inclusive space for all our customers.
See the love

@@@

Better hope their rainbow crowd of whatever proclivities (matters to me not a jot) don't do anything as perverse as trying to bring a bike along.

Have pretty much abandoned these clumsy companies in favour of maybe somewhat more ramshackle but more bike-friendly regional railways.