Will I get on the train?

[Cowsham]

We don't have a bicycle reservation system but it's of little use for commuting since you're not allowed on before half 9 anyway.

[peetee]

I'm not sure train staff can be found at all times on our services in the west. You can travel for some time and several stops before the guard reappears. This may be because some train are composed of two fixed-formation units with no corridor connection between.
Logic tells me that staff should be present in both passenger areas and to not have this at all times potentially compromises the safety and welfare of passengers but it also reduces the running costs and staffing requirements.
I'd not like to speculate which option the train companies favour.

[Lazybird]

Did my trial run this morning, exact same train and seat/bike reservations as my May train. No issues though the trains might possibly be less busy than usual because it’s half term. Just a pushchair to move out of the way on the outward GWR train. The bike spaces were actually better on the Cross Country train on the way back: a single and a double space in separate compartments.

I did bring my old bike with drop bars this time. My tourer has straight bars which might be a bit of an issue on the GWR train as the bike compartment is quite narrow

[brianleach]

The bike spaces were actually better on the Cross Country train on the way back: a single and a double space in separate compartments

This is quite old stock I believe hence being better!!!

I use them quite a lot going north and hope that the single compartment is free as its much easier to use, The double space is a bit of an illusion. Its almost impossible to get two full sized bikes in.

[james01]

Thread hijack: does anyone know if we've got a reasonable chance of spaces on a train from Salisbury to Warminster mid-morning on a Saturday ?

[mjr]

Thread hijack: does anyone know if we've got a reasonable chance of spaces on a train from Salisbury to Warminster mid-morning on a Saturday ?

There seems to be mainly a mix of GWR class 158 (Express Sprinter), 165 and 166 (Turbos) and SWR class 159 (Express Sprinter) on those services. According to GWR.com, all theirs should have at least two bike spaces (4-car services will have at least 4 spaces) that cannot be booked and bike symbol(s) on/by the relevant door(s). SWR's have bike spaces in the middle coach. Some services start from Salisbury, so you should be able to get in the space before any idiot puts a suitcase in it.

[Nearholmer]

Logic tells me that staff should be present in both passenger areas and to not have this at all times potentially compromises the safety and welfare of passengers but it also reduces the running costs and staffing requirements.
I'd not like to speculate which option the train companies favour.

I’m afraid that your logic is leading you badly astray.

There is no real safety need for a member of staff to be within each “unit”, and trains with no through corridor have been operated with one guard (job title now varies, but often ‘conductor’) since the very early days of railways in the case of short trains, and huge, long trains since continuous automatic braking was introduced in the late-C19th.

There has never, ever been a general requirement for more than one guard on a continuously braked passenger train to my knowledge (55+ years interest in railway history, 40 years full time and 6 years part time railway employment), although sometimes there is more than one member of staff on long trains to deal with ‘revenue protection’, and on a tiny few very ‘difficult’ routes additional personnel are present late in the evening to provide security (deal with drunks and louts, basically).

And, of course, on some lines, notably most of London Underground, there is no guard at all - the trains are “one person operated”. If you pop across to Paris, you can ride on trains with no guard, and no driver either.

You are safe on a train with no through corridor, with no member of staff present in ‘your’ part of the train.