Trains, busy times and using bikes

[TPMB12]

I'll be moving to near a train line, same one I live near now but further away, and plan to commute with bike by train. It's a 21 minute journey with a 6 minute bike ride to work site. As a result of the first lockdown and the end of my furlough period I restarted at work with an hour earlier n start time at 7am. I used the train last week when my car was out and it was very empty going into work. When I last took it but am hour later it was not that much different. The return journey was a lot busier in the past than this week. My home train is only 25 minutes earlier than the train I used to get.

My question is whether anyone has a view on whether these lower occupancy levels is purely going to be COVID related or do trains get a lot quieter before a certain time? It's a branch line that joins a main line where I got on it.

I'm trying to work out if I can get away with a rigid bike on the homewards train now and in the future. In the past on a later train I'd probably struggle with a rigid bike. I'm thinking a Brompton would have been needed on the later train in the past or at least an Airnimal Joey?

Anyone had experience of branch line regional routes pre and post COVID?

[telstarbox]

Which train company is it? Some have a bike ban in peak hours.

[barakta]

Rail nerd friend says train operating companies are expecting a 75% return to normal levels this year sometime and 100% by April 2022. I was surprised, but numbers had been going up and up and the cut in commuters from increased WFH may not make that much difference apparently.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Rail nerd friend says train operating companies are expecting a 75% return to normal levels this year sometime and 100% by April 2022. I was surprised, but numbers had been going up and up and the cut in commuters from increased WFH may not make that much difference apparently.

Interesting. I had vaguely assimilated that levels would return to or towards, sometimes above, previous norms, but the distribution would be different: fewer passengers on peak hour commuter lines and more on weekend and daytime 'leisure' services. A more even spread in other words.

[citoyen]

Even pre pandemic, Fridays had become much quieter on the trains from Kent into London, so changes in working practices were already making a noticeable difference.

Since the pandemic hit, the last few times I’ve been on the train up to London, I’ve noticed that off peak services seem to be busier than peak. But I presume that’s because people are making ad hoc journeys and not buying season tickets. Peak trains are prohibitively expensive for occasional travel.

No idea what the long term impact will be for bikes on trains.

[TPMB12]

What about in the North West? Northern and TPE operate the route I use. No ban but when trains have been cancelled and the train is packed cyclists get turfed off, or have once when I've been on the train.

[Karla]

I commuted on TPE for about five years and I don't think I ever had that happen to me.  If you're regular enough all the staff get used to you.

[grams]

Last time I checked, Northern have no bike restrictions, TPE has compulsory bike reservations.

[TPMB12]

Both Northern and TPE haven't given us any issues with taking bikes in trains. My partner used to take both companies trains with her bike and never had issues.

[markcjagar]

Whilst it's probably for the best, Northern getting rid of the old Pacers means that the days of getting 10 bikes on one train are now long gone - which is a shame on the Hope Valley Line