Author Topic: Bikes on trains - where are they stored? (Read 2737 times)

gibbo · « **on:** 06 July, 2021, 07:12:23 pm »

Hi - am looking into doing some bike touring and thought about train travel to my start point. I know there's a limit of 2 or 6 bikes depending upon which company you travel with but where does one leave the bike? Is it in the guard's wagon, if there is such a thing, or between carriages. For the latter are there specific spaces or can you choose any one at random?
TIA.

quixoticgeek · « **Reply #1 on:** 06 July, 2021, 07:13:41 pm »

Quote from: gibbo on 06 July, 2021, 07:12:23 pm

Hi - am looking into doing some bike touring and thought about train travel to my start point. I know there's a limit of 2 or 6 bikes depending upon which company you travel with but where does one leave the bike? Is it in the guard's wagon, if there is such a thing, or between carriages. For the latter are there specific spaces or can you choose any one at random?
TIA.

It really depends on the train company, and the rolling stock they use. Where are you going from, and to?

J

gibbo · « **Reply #2 on:** 06 July, 2021, 07:15:38 pm »

Quote from: quixoticgeek on 06 July, 2021, 07:13:41 pm

Quote from: gibbo on 06 July, 2021, 07:12:23 pm
Hi - am looking into doing some bike touring and thought about train travel to my start point. I know there's a limit of 2 or 6 bikes depending upon which company you travel with but where does one leave the bike? Is it in the guard's wagon, if there is such a thing, or between carriages. For the latter are there specific spaces or can you choose any one at random?
TIA.

It really depends on the train company, and the rolling stock they use. Where are you going from, and to?

J

Ipswich to Nottingham so Greater Anglia and East Midlands Railway.

FifeingEejit · « **Reply #3 on:** 06 July, 2021, 07:18:54 pm »

Reminds me I need to dig out a photo of my bike on a train with a certain type of storage as a demonstration of designers only thinking within certain bounds.

grams · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 July, 2021, 07:25:43 pm »

Quote from: gibbo on 06 July, 2021, 07:15:38 pm

Ipswich to Nottingham so Greater Anglia and East Midlands Railway.

There’ll be a space on the train like this:
https://mobile.twitter.com/greateranglia/status/1220720324309856257

Usually a big bike symbol on the outside which you should look for as the train arrives. Beware it may be full of other bikes, passengers, luggage, wheelchairs etc. Also there may be more than one space on the train.

arabella · « **Reply #5 on:** 07 July, 2021, 11:27:21 am »

via Peterborough or via Norwich?
I only know about Ipswich trains (Greater Anglia, mainly the new Staedtler stock)
Ipswich to Norwich just walk up, make sure you look for the carriage with the bike section (iirc it's carriage D) (more frequent, not sure what now, probably only 1/hour)
Ipswich to Pbo ditto though it's at one end of the train (but only 4 carriages) (every 2 hours)
I think Norwich to Pbo is the same sort of train as Ips-Pbo.
But in all cases the bike is stored in carriage.
(wondering how you get anywhere without having found this out. Then realise you probably have a car)

L CC · « **Reply #6 on:** 07 July, 2021, 01:53:11 pm »

Norwich to East Midlands didn't use to be the same kind of train as Ipswich to Pbo but I don't live in EA any more to confirm.

gibbo · « **Reply #7 on:** 07 July, 2021, 03:13:23 pm »

Quote from: arabella on 07 July, 2021, 11:27:21 am

via Peterborough or via Norwich?
I only know about Ipswich trains (Greater Anglia, mainly the new Staedtler stock)
Ipswich to Norwich just walk up, make sure you look for the carriage with the bike section (iirc it's carriage D) (more frequent, not sure what now, probably only 1/hour)
Ipswich to Pbo ditto though it's at one end of the train (but only 4 carriages) (every 2 hours)
I think Norwich to Pbo is the same sort of train as Ips-Pbo.
But in all cases the bike is stored in carriage.
(wondering how you get anywhere without having found this out. Then realise you probably have a car)

Would be via Peterborough, at least whenever I've looked at the ticket/ change info it's always said that. I've travelled this route a few times but sans bike so never had to check it out. Yes, I do have a car although I've cycled way more miles than driven this year.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #8 on:** 08 July, 2021, 06:59:30 am »

The answer to the origjnal question is often "standing in the vestibule with their owners".

robgul · « **Reply #9 on:** 08 July, 2021, 07:43:51 am »

Quote from: rogerzilla on 08 July, 2021, 06:59:30 am

The answer to the origjnal question is often "standing in the vestibule with their owners".

. . . or "They try not to let bikes on trains"

yorkie · « **Reply #10 on:** 09 July, 2021, 04:57:53 pm »

Web links are to the Train Operating Company Bike Carriage information pages.

Ipswich to Peterborough:
Class 755 Stadler Bi-Mode - Either 3 or 4-car, bike space is in one end, near to the driver's cab, marked with a green line above the window. Carry up to 6 bikes, no prior reservation possible.

Peterborough to Nottingham:
Class 158 Express Sprinter (usually**) - Usually 2-car, bike space is in one carriage, at the opposite end to the driver's cab, there may be a coloured line, but is more likely to be a bike symbol on or near the door. Carry 2 bikes, prior reservation is required.

** May be substituted by a class 156 Super Sprinter - 2 bikes carried at one end of the unit, marked by bike symbol.
EMR may be introducing 2 and 3-car class 170 Turbostars on the Norwich - Liverpool route in the near future, these have the bike accommodation in the main saloon of one of the end vehicles at the opposite end from the cab.

Kim · « **Reply #11 on:** 09 July, 2021, 05:05:31 pm »

The usefulness of this sort of information demonstrates the slippery slope from touring cyclist to train spotter...

gibbo · « **Reply #12 on:** 09 July, 2021, 05:46:59 pm »

Thanks for all the input. What I find a bit shit about the bike on a train thing is that you have to buy your ticket then call them to reserve your bike spot. At least that’s what I’ve read - tell me if you know different. What happens if the bike spaces are already reserved? Cancel the train and try again until you get lucky?

grams · « **Reply #13 on:** 09 July, 2021, 05:54:06 pm »

Most booking websites will offer you the option of reserving a bike place as part of the purchase process.

Kim · « **Reply #14 on:** 09 July, 2021, 05:56:10 pm »

It's been a while, but in the Before Times there were a couple of TOC's websites that still used the older API that allowed you to book cycle spaces and disability assistance at the same time as seat reservations. Not sure what the current state of play is...

But ultimately, reservations are only really worth the orange cardboard they're printed on. Other than the few services where you need a member of staff to provide access to the cycle compartment (who may or may not bother checking them), they do exactly nothing to ensure that the space isn't full of one or more of: an unreserved bike, the handlebars of an adjacent reserved bike, luggage, bags of rubbish, pushchairs, standing passengers, crabs. The rest of the time they function mainly as a tie-breaker if you and someone with an unreserved bike try to claim the space at the same time.

It's shit. This is why the TOCs keep congratulating themselves so loudly about improving cycle parking at stations.

gibbo · « **Reply #15 on:** 09 July, 2021, 06:02:38 pm »

Quote from: grams on 09 July, 2021, 05:54:06 pm

Most booking websites will offer you the option of reserving a bike place as part of the purchase process.

Do you know which ones since the trainline.com doesn’t?

grams · « **Reply #16 on:** 09 July, 2021, 06:07:21 pm »

The ones belonging to train companies that need them usually do. LNER and GWR definitely do.

gibbo · « **Reply #17 on:** 09 July, 2021, 06:19:18 pm »

Quote from: grams on 09 July, 2021, 06:07:21 pm

The ones belonging to train companies that need them usually do. LNER and GWR definitely do.

Great, thanks for that

FifeingEejit · « **Reply #18 on:** 09 July, 2021, 06:50:20 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 09 July, 2021, 05:05:31 pm

The usefulness of this sort of information demonstrates the slippery slope from touring cyclist to train spotter...

A bash on the heid got me into bus spotting for a bit...
Two different types of bus with very similar front ends; one with a roof around the 175cm mark, the other around 185cm.

Then the bus company changed the timetable so I couldn't use them to get to/from work without being ridiculously restricted.

Quote from: grams on 09 July, 2021, 06:07:21 pm

The ones belonging to train companies that need them usually do. LNER and GWR definitely do.

ScotRail, and it does bookings for other TOCs that treat bike spaces as special seats too... or at least used to

yorkie · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 July, 2021, 01:47:49 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 09 July, 2021, 05:05:31 pm

The usefulness of this sort of information demonstrates the slippery slope from touring cyclist to train spotter...

Waves...

Quote from: FifeingEejit on 09 July, 2021, 06:50:20 pm

Quote from: grams on 09 July, 2021, 06:07:21 pm
The ones belonging to train companies that need them usually do. LNER and GWR definitely do.
ScotRail, and it does bookings for other TOCs that treat bike spaces as special seats too... or at least used to

TPE (First Transpennine Express) does as well. I've also used their phone app to book a bike in the recent past.

gibbo · « **Reply #20 on:** 09 September, 2021, 08:33:22 pm »

I finally got around to doing a train/ cycle trip so I thought I’d give a quick update on how things worked for me.

Start point was Ipswich station for the 10:01 where I rolled up to buy a ticket on the day. Trawling the website for Greater Anglia earlier in the week showed one cannot reserve a bike spot, you have to turn up on the day and hope there’s a space.

There was one other guy who was obviously a regular bike train traveller who planted himself at the exact spot where the bike carriage stopped, he promptly jumped on and took the first spot. Fortunately for me the other bike spot was free so all good for the trip to Peterborough.

Immediately other passengers boarded and started filling up the bike area with baggage. Mr regular traveler did his best to stop them since he was getting off at the first stop and obviously needed access. For me no big deal since I was getting off at the train’s last stop. It was an issue for others getting on later though and they had to stand and hold their bike for the entire journey.

If I were travelling with connections I’d be a bit worried regarding space although has anyone actually been ousted from a train due to no room being available?

rogerzilla · « **Reply #21 on:** 09 September, 2021, 10:11:29 pm »

My advice? Travel seriously off peak (not much demand for bike spaces after 2230) or buy a Brompton.

CarlF · « **Reply #22 on:** 09 September, 2021, 10:14:29 pm »

Depends what you mean by "ousted".

I've been told I'm not allowed to get on because there's no room, and seen it happen to others many times. Sometimes this includes "but I've got a reservation" ..."doesn't matter, there's no room". Other times there's been someone with a reservation and someone without, and only the person with reservation was allowed on (even if all the 'official' spaces were taken).

I don't think I've ever been kicked off a train that I have already travelled any distance on, (i.e. been able to board but then get told when the guard comes round once the train is moving that I have to get off at the next station) although I think I may have seen it happen to someone else at least once.

Far more frequently I have seen three or four bikes carried where there is officially space for two, with no comment from the guard.

But I think this is all highly variable with train company and type of train.

(I was a frequent bike-on-train commuter on Scotrail services up till a few years ago. They've changed which type of train they use on a lot of services in the past two years so things may be stricter now . Also, I believe Scotrail is the only train operator where the requirement to carry bikes on all services as part of the franchise terms they are bound by, so things where you are may be very different)

drossall · « **Reply #23 on:** 09 September, 2021, 10:47:29 pm »

There's never a problem on the Kings Cross/St Pancras to Cambridge or Peterborough line, as long as you don't try to take a full-size bike in rush hour of course. No arbitrary limits on numbers, nothing really.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #24 on:** 10 September, 2021, 12:19:03 pm »

I've once been not allowed to board a train, but it was an all-stations stopper, for which reservations are not available. It was also very, very full, already carrying more than its allotted load if bikes and persons, and that was the departure station. And there was another in about 15 minutes. I've never been made to leave a train, nor seen it happen to anyone else, regardless of whether I had a reservation, even if standing in the corridor with bike.