Cycling UK Forum

Have booked a bike space on the train Exeter to Plymouth on a Friday morning in early May to catch the ferry to Roscoff. Now I’m worried that the bike rack will be full of general luggage and I won’t get on despite having booked. Is this a realistic possibilty or am I being overly pessimistic?

It depends how assertive you feel. I'm travelling with LNER soon and have a reservation for my bike. If I board the train and my designated bike space contains luggage, the luggage shall be moved out of the way.

I hope it works out all fine for you, it really ought not be a lottery getting a bike on a train but I understand the cause for concern with overcrowded trains and small bike spaces on much of the longer distance rolling stock these days.

Do you have a Plan B? Getting a train to get a ferry adds to the frisson...

There'll be folks here with much more experience than I with bikes on trains on that route I'm sure.

If it were me I'd be eyeing up alternative services just in case, and if things were really bad get the local train from Exeter to Okehampton and then cycle to Bere Alston for another local train to Plymouth.

I find the local services more bike friendly than the long distance ones.

Good luck!

Lazybird wrote: ↑12 Feb 2024, 9:01pm Have booked a bike space on the train Exeter to Plymouth on a Friday morning in early May to catch the ferry to Roscoff. Now I’m worried that the bike rack will be full of general luggage and I won’t get on despite having booked. Is this a realistic possibilty or am I being overly pessimistic?

Ask staff before the train arrives which carriage has the bike space. Get on the train. If the bike rack is blocked by luggage then block the aisle with your bike. The staff will soon get the luggage moved. If it was me my bike would be in the bike rack and the luggage moved out the way but if you don't want to do that the staff are there to sort out issues like this.

The through trains that run on that route are Class 800 Azuma units (other train companies use these too,) and, from my experience, the cycle spaces are in two forms; a bike-length set-aside area open to the corridor or a open-ended compartment with wall hooks to store your bike upright (the hook is quite tight and I couldn't get my 2" tyred wheel in to one when I tried yesterday)
I can't say how these two different storage options are arranged on an individual train but platform announcements on the Western main line do explain where the cycle carriage is located.
Friday morning will, without doubt, be a better time to travel than Friday afternoon which I thoroughly recommend anyone should avoid when travelling west.

Unfortunately you will only know when the train arrives. It is a lottery sadly. As has been said you can increase the chance of the space being free by choosing certain times of day but on a holiday line with little luggage space there is always going to be some uncertainty.

As has also been said if you have a booked space you can either just move the luggage or get the train manager to do it if that is possible. I once stood with my bike from Sheffield to Winchester so with goodwill from the train crew it can be done.

I am always nervous and I've being doing this since 2007. I am lucky enough to be on what I consider one of the best routes. I use the Waterloo to either Poole or Portsmouth line and those trains have a much more bike friendly set up but if several other people choose the same train it can still be an issue.

If I have time I try to use local routes. It does take longer but can be more restful!!

Good luck. Don't let it put you off.

I know which carriage I’m in. It will be the mainline train. I am pretty assertive so sounds like standing your ground is the way to go. I think I’ll do a trial run on the same train.

I have considered plan Bs including train to Okehampton and riding, getting up early and cycling all the way, giving up on the train altogether and leaving the car in Plymouth or finding somewhere to leave the bike overnight in Plymouth the night before.

Mick F recommends Gunnislake station car park when using Plymouth ferries.

^^ "Unfortunately you will only know when the train arrives. It is a lottery sadly. As has been said you can increase the chance of the space being free by choosing certain times of day but on a holiday line with little luggage space there is always going to be some uncertainty."

+1!

Nil experience of route in question and little in general, but I would never rely on boarding a train with a full size bike reservation or not! On a holiday route, late running meant that a service on which I did have a reservation was so very full that no chance of boarding with a bike. Luckily I had the Brompton and just managed to squeeze in and stand.
I can't imagine that staff would have removed c.6 passengers so that I could assert my reservation!
I'd only use a train with a folder!

Lazybird wrote: ↑13 Feb 2024, 8:18am I know which carriage I’m in.

That's a good start!
It would be worth asking station staff where you should stand on the platform so that you will be at the right door when the train comes to rest. A few seconds can be gained with that information.
When using some German trains I discovered there were numbers on my travel ticket which tallied with numbered indicator boards onthe station platform which guided me to the right location on the platform. I have not seen such a system on UK trains but am happy to be corrected.

Ron wrote: ↑13 Feb 2024, 9:09am When using some German trains I discovered there were numbers on my travel ticket which tallied with numbered indicator boards onthe station platform which guided me to the right location on the platform. I have not seen such a system on UK trains but am happy to be corrected.

Various operators, including GWR, have tried that at various times, but not now. It wasn't great as disruption rarely communicated more than "this train is in reverse for formation" or "this train is short formed today" and no updates on where to stand and no extra stop time to find your car.

On the day, searching https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/ looking at the detailed view will show the recorded train type and position of any bike car. ( Edit : it doesn't seem to show bike car on GWR. It does on XC.) It might work from 10pm the night before. It should be updated until arrival but it's not unusual for them to add a substitute unit and not remove a failed unit, leading to some odd combos that would never be allowed in reality.

Most UK trains are good with bikes. I've had 26 bikes on a train with 6 spaces, with the guard allowing it ( but not exactly happy ). I've been denied boarding to more Dutch trains and I've not ridden many of those. Best to have plans B, C and D if you can, though.

Lazybird wrote: ↑12 Feb 2024, 9:01pm Have booked a bike space on the train Exeter to Plymouth on a Friday morning in early May to catch the ferry to Roscoff.

Is the train starting from Exeter or is Exeter just an intermediate stop and it's coming from (eg) Bristol?

That can make a big difference - I've got on a train with a bike at the origin station when you can sort of force your way on as early as possible but getting the same space 2 or 3 stops along the line would be impossible.

I wouldn't get hung up on specifics of where to stand or what carriage it is. It's not uncommon for trains to be the "other way round" to expected or a different train type or something and the staff won't always know. If you stand at the end of the platform nearest to its arrival, all the carriages will go past you and you can clock the one with bike symbols (although it's equally likely that you'll then have to run along the entire platform!)

rareposter wrote: ↑13 Feb 2024, 10:03am

Lazybird wrote: ↑12 Feb 2024, 9:01pm Have booked a bike space on the train Exeter to Plymouth on a Friday morning in early May to catch the ferry to Roscoff.

Is the train starting from Exeter or is Exeter just an intermediate stop and it's coming from (eg) Bristol?

That can make a big difference - I've got on a train with a bike at the origin station when you can sort of force your way on as early as possible but getting the same space 2 or 3 stops along the line would be impossible.

are all GW services between Exeter and Plymouth now operated with 802s?

seems like they're either coming from Cardiff or from London?

eg

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/servic ... allox_id=0

the XC services are 'Voyagers' by the looks of it

eg

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/servic ... allox_id=0

either way, with this stock bicycle spaces are not exactly aplenty!

XC used to run some HSTs which had better capacity for bikes, but not on all services, again RealTimeTrains will indicate what type of rolling stock for the booked service, worth checking.

cheers,

Keith

rareposter wrote: ↑13 Feb 2024, 10:03am If you stand at the end of the platform nearest to its arrival, all the carriages will go past you and you can clock the one with bike symbols (although it's equally likely that you'll then have to run along the entire platform!)

That reminds me: if a train planner or sign shows what length of train it is, find the platform sign that says "5 car stop" or whatever length it is. The number will be big. That's where the front of the train will be. If the platform is used in both directions, there will be one facing the other way too and it'll be unusual for the train to extended back beyond that. So that limits your area to stand in, which is useful if it's a 5 car train on a 14 car platform. All trains have cars about 20-24m long and it's unusual on that line for bikes to board at an end door at the moment, so I'd try to stand about 40m in from the back of the train. Then, as the poster above says, if a door with a bike symbol passes you (or your coach letter if you know it), follow it, else head backwards to look for it.

Traction_man wrote: ↑13 Feb 2024, 10:48am are all GW services between Exeter and Plymouth now operated with 802s?

There are still occasional 158s (express Sprinter), but also not great bike spaces.