When will Eurostar recommence carrying bikes?

[st599_uk]

Excellent letter from Eurostar to the Transport Select Committee setting out the issues today.

https://twitter.com/EurostarJustinp/sta ... 4337495041

No government help during Covid, so they've had to take on a large debt to prevent going bust.

Passport stamp requirements for British Citizens have forced them to use all their spare space at St Pancras for passport control points, but even with new booths capacity has dropped from 2200 per hour to 1500 per hour.

Much higher costs to track owners per km in the UK than in Europe and can't employ enough engineers.

Therefore, fewer trains running, no intermediate stops as that would spread the limited border capacity and an end to their growth strategy

[Jdsk]

Thanks for posting that. Very interesting.

Jonathan

PS: Yet another example of the value of Parliamentary Select Committees.

[bohrsatom]

Interesting to see the situation laid out like that. From our perspective as cycle tourists, if they’re looking to maximise profit then carrying bicycles is not going to be a priority any time soon. There’s lots of manual effort involved, plus all the customs formalities, but the ticket is cheaper than one for a regular passenger who carries her bags herself.

This wasn’t mentioned in the letter but my recent experience is that the departure lounge in St Pancras can’t cope with the level of passengers given the new e320s carry 20% more than the e300s. There’s barely any room to sit down, the queues for the two small shops are ridiculous and the toilets are in terrible shape after 15 years of use. Clearly the demand for travel exists but even without the border issues I don’t see how they can provide the right level of service without making the experience worse than flying

[CJ]

The number of bikes being carried on the back of motorhomes (ours included) whilst crossing to and from Europe on ferries this year hasn't been any less than before Brexit. Taking your personal effects abroad for the purposes of tourism is still allowed.

It seems to me that Eurostar needed an excuse not to provide any spaces for bikes, and have chosen Brexit. Meanwhile, every other cross channel transportation route is carrying on as before.

I'm afraid that other cross-channel bicycle transportation methods are NOT carrying on as before. One popular method for organisers of group cycling tours on the continent was to load the bikes in a van and send the people by train or coach. Since Brexit this no longer works. Bikes not accompanied by their owners are classed as goods, with all the associated import-export paperwork and costs in both directions! Several groups have been caught out by this. Even couples taking a couple of extra bikes in their campervan, to be used by another couple driving out later to join them, have been stung with punitive fines for smuggling!

[simonhill]

Indeed, the problems with other means of carrying multiple bikes has been well reported.

Discussed at length here:

Import duties on bikes taken on holiday.

viewtopic.php?t=153014

[bohrsatom]

In their previous update, Eurostar said they would have something up and running in September. The latest is now "by the end of the year"

Sorry, our bike service isn’t available at the moment. We’re working hard to relaunch the service before the end of the year

If my memory is correct, this is now the third delay with no update: first it was the summer holidays, then September, now it's the end of the year. I'm not holding my breath about anything changing in time for next year's adventures.

[hamster]

Luckily I need a small frame, I'm going in the Rinko direction for tours now, everything driven by hitting the dimensions Eurostar specify for carry-on luggage.

[Richard Fairhurst]

I’ve literally just this morning taken the red-eye Eurostar to Paris with my Bike Friday. Fairly painless; the biggest hassle is that they require folding bikes to be bagged, and though the BF can be, it’s fairly (ok, very) ungainly. Unsurprising given the security theatre and having to put everything through the X-ray machines I guess.

Parisian cyclists are fearless!

[st599_uk]

In their previous update, Eurostar said they would have something up and running in September. The latest is now "by the end of the year"

Sorry, our bike service isn’t available at the moment. We’re working hard to relaunch the service before the end of the year

If my memory is correct, this is now the third delay with no update: first it was the summer holidays, then September, now it's the end of the year. I'm not holding my breath about anything changing in time for next year's adventures.

Having read the CEOs letter, not sure bike provision will be high on their list of things to fix. (Not sure it's even within their purview - unaccompanied baggage customs rules are probably something the UK Govt would need to deal with)

[Jdsk]

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-i ... gage/bikes

"We’re working hard to relaunch the service before the end of January."

Jonathan

[bohrsatom]

I can't be the only one thinking "which January are they talking about?"

[mattheus]

I can't be the only one thinking "which January are they talking about?"

Also, I don't it's a British company; so probably a translation error.

[PH]

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-i ... gage/bikes

"We’re working hard to relaunch the service before the end of January."

Jonathan

Would be very good news if they did.
Not only for Eurostar users, but if they've found a way to overcome some of the obstacles it could benefit others.

[glucas]

Just seen a tweet on Twitter from one of the train mangers who does the Eurostar routes that contains a photo showing a sign on a pillar pointing to where baggage + bikes should be loaded/unloaded. It looks like they are getting ready to accept bikes again.

[scragend]

I came on to flag up the same thing; I knew someone would have beaten me to it!

I was one of the sceptics but this is good news, and hopefully the first step towards all their services allowing bikes on board.