Bikes on Trains.

[seasider]

I know this must have been done to death,but before I commit to pay for a ticket. I intend taking an early evening train (cross country) from Bristol (TM) to Tamworth and then onward via Virgin to Preston. Will I be able to take a bike onboard on both trains? obviously with a booking for said bike. Or is my best chance to use a bike bag. It's a midweek evening in early April. Many thanks for any info.

[mattc]

I'm afraid it's a few years since I used Virgin, so I wouldn't want to comment without reading their specific terms. But I think it's safe to say that if you can book the bike on, you will be OK on the day!

[My recollection of X-Country was of crappy 2-bikes-per-train hangy things. But I got on, and nothing got broken.]

[Karla]

The Cross Country service will be on a Voyager train.  These have three bike spaces in coach D, they look like this.  Theoretically, two of the spaces are reservable and one is walk-up.  In practice, I've seen a lot more than three bikes fit on these trains.  The big advantage is that you don't need the guard's say-so in order to board the train, you can just get on and hang up your bike.  Get a reservation if you're travelling at peak time, otherwise you don't really need to bother.

Tamworth to Preston will be on a Pendolino train.  You need a reservation for those: storage is at one end of the train, behind a locked door, like this. Reservations are officially mandatory and most of the guards will enforce this: they won't open the door unless you have a reservation. 

[bikepacker]

You would be far easier to change at New St. There is an hourly service Virgin to Preston and the train is usually in the station for at least 10 minutes giving more time to sort the bike. As stated you will need a reservation for this leg and it is also better to get one for the Cross Country while you are making a booking.

If price seems to high try booking tickets separately for each leg of the journey, you may find that cheaper.

[Kim]

Phartiphukborlz has it.

Agreed that changing at Mordor Central would appear to make sense.  Some of the Virgin services from New Street to the North West are Voyagers (diesel) rather than Pendolinos (electric) - on the Virgin Voyagers the bike space is a dangly area in the power car at one end.  Unlike the Pendolinos, this is accessible from a public vestibule, so you won't need to find a member of staff on the platform to open it up.

The right-hand dangly bike space on a CrossCountry Voyager ostensibly fits two bikes.  In practice it fits two bikes with drop handlebars, if they're inserted in the right order.  If you come along and find someone's put a MTB or city bike in there, yours might not fit.  At peak hours you may find the bike spaces occupied by passengers.  Or worse, that someone's locked an unfolded Brompton in one of them.  The reasonableness of train crew is extremely variable.

(If you go for the bagged bike as luggage option, there's a large general-purpose luggage space behind the dangly bike spaces in coach D.)

Book your bike on everything, it can't hurt, is necessary for Pendolinos, and gives you an extra bargaining chip if a CrossCountry guard tries to chuck some cyclists off.

[Paul H]

Agreed that changing at Mordor Central would appear to make sense. 

Yes,not just for the delights of the new New St and whatever train advantages, also for the advantage of not going to Tamworth with it's multi level platforms and small lifts that don't always work with narrow concrete steps as an alternative.  Sometimes for me going via Tamworth is cheaper which is the overwhelming consideration, but all things equal I'll choose Birmingham.

[seasider]

I've finally booked my tickets and thanks to suggestions on the forum have gone for a train to Birmingham, an hours wait and a train to Preston and then the local line to Poulton. It works out at a reasonable £25ish. I did that online and then walked up to Poulton, printed my tickets and then the helpful lady in the booking office processed the bike onto said trains.No charge for this service. The first time I've done a ride out /train back,what a great service having a ticket office at the local station.Long may it remain.

[Deano]

My sister is a genius.



No more orange cardboard for me!

[Adam]

You can use the Hull Trains web site to book any UK train journey, and if you reserve a seat, their web site also lets you reserve a bike space at the same time.

[Kim]

You can use the Hull Trains web site to book any UK train journey, and if you reserve a seat, their web site also lets you reserve a bike space at the same time.

Virgin Eastcoast TAAW.

[jsabine]

You can use the Hull Trains web site to book any UK train journey, and if you reserve a seat, their web site also lets you reserve a bike space at the same time.

Virgin Eastcoast TAAW.

And TPE - in fact any of the rail companies that use the same booking engine.

[Kim]

You can use the Hull Trains web site to book any UK train journey, and if you reserve a seat, their web site also lets you reserve a bike space at the same time.

Virgin Eastcoast TAAW.

And TPE - in fact any of the rail companies that use the same booking engine.

Which is admittedly fairly dire to use, but better than not being able to book bike reservations at the same time as the ticket.

[TigaSefi]

Quick question. Colleague going up north via Virgin and East Coast. Virgin have confirmed her bike space but East Coast has not. Best way to chase up with East Coast trains?

[Karla]

Eh?  East Coast is Virgin. 

Unless they've changed it in the last couple of months, when you book you should get a little orange card, like a ticket, which is your bike reservation.  If she had that then she has a reservation, if she doesn't then she's on very dodgy ground.

[TigaSefi]

Eh?  East Coast is Virgin. 

Unless they've changed it in the last couple of months, when you book you should get a little orange card, like a ticket, which is your bike reservation.  If she had that then she has a reservation, if she doesn't then she's on very dodgy ground.

Thanks, i'll get back to her. I have zero knowledge on booking bikes in advance with trains. Much less companies too!

EDIT: Got it! She going up on Virgin which confirmed over the phone. She coming back down with East Midlands?

[Karla]

Sounds like it.

I'd be wary of any purely verbal confirmation from Virgin.  Their station and train staff are a bit inconsistent but are at least 50% jobsworths who will jump at any opportunity to turn you away from the train unless you have the magic orange bit of paper and will make sure to check whether you have said chit, even if it's not their job to do so.  If Virgin are posting her out a reservation chit, great.  If not, she needs to go to a station and book one, or else take her chances.

East Midlands: I don't really use their routes so don't know, but think they're meant to be a bit friendlier.  Here's their webpage about it

[Kim]

Eh?  East Coast is Virgin.

This is true, but it's a completely different Virgin to the west coast mainline service (known simply as "Virgin Trains").