Bikes on London-Cambridge Greater Anglia trains?

[toontra]

I'm hoping someone can help with info on taking bikes on this line?  I've spent the last hour on the phone with various Greater Anglia departments trying to book a bike reservation from London Liverpool Street to Elsenham going out on a Saturday morning and coming back at 10pm on a Wednesday (in 3 weeks time) , so both "off peak"

After being kept on hold for an eternity I was told all bikes spaces had been reserved already.  I gave them alternative times - from 9 - 11pm - same response - all booked.  I just don't believe that someone has had the foresight to make bike reservations on all the Cambridge - London trains this far in advance.  More like the system is talking b0!!ocks.

Trouble is, I am flying in/out of Stansted with full touring gear and don't want to get stuck on a platform & miss the flight.  Greater Anglia don't allow bikes at all on the direct Stansted trains, even off peak, thus the detour via Elsenham.

What I'm wondering is - what if I just rock up at Liverpool St / Elsenham with my bike?  Does anyone use this route & know the score?  I seem to remember getting this exact train a few times for 'Uts audaxes at Ugley and their being no problem with several bikes in doorways, but that was a few years ago and things may have changed.

Any advice gratefully received!

[Rod Marton]

According to their website, local trains are first come, first served for bikes and reservations are not possible. And if your train stops at Elsenham, it will be a local service. So I'd just turn up and stick your bike on the train (though I might turn up a bit early just in case).

[grams]

Yep, bikes are allowed off peak and there are no bike reservations on this line. I wouldn't expect it to be busy at the times you mention.

[toontra]

I would have thought so.  But when I went on their website to book the passenger tickets it says, (if you click the "details" tab) - yes, all types of bikes ARE allowed but only with a reservation. 

There the fun starts.  There is no option to book the reservation on the website - instead you have to ring a number, get re-directed twice including to an offshore company who then put you on hold while they ring a dept in the UK  (so you have to repeat the details 3 times) only to be told there are no spaces available on any of the 4 trips.

I was hoping someone here might use this service, especially off-peak, and can advise on the "réalité".

[grams]

The only trains on that line (from Liverpool Street) are high capacity electric commuter trains with no guard and no seat reservations or indeed any facilities of any kind. There's no one to administer bike reservations!

The canonical informations about taking bikes is here:
https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/your-journey/cycling/bikes-on-trains

Annoyingly they don't explicitly state "Bikes are allowed apart from these restrictions" but it's implied by the other text.

(I'd ignore whatever the booking engine says. They're appalling pieces of sellotaped together misconfigured software and it's a miracle they work at all. And yes, I used to work in the industry)

[toontra]

Thanks grams.  The relevant section seems to be:

Non-folding cycles on trains
Before you travel, please make sure that you are fully aware of any restrictions on carriage of cycles that might apply to your journey, including those of other train operators that might provide services on your route.
Please allow all other passengers to board the train before you, especially if you intend to leave your cycle in the vestibule.
When you board, park your cycle in such a way that free access along the train is not impeded for fellow customers and train company staff.
If the vestibule is full with standing passengers, please try another entrance, or wait for the next train.

That's totally contrary to what's on the actual ticket-booking bit of the website (reservations compulsory).

I wouldn't normally be so fastidious but when flights are involved it's not advisable to wing it (excuse the pun) , possibly resulting in standing on a rail platform at the time your flight is taking off.

Just out of interest how do others get their bikes to Stansted airport (no car, won't pay for taxi!)?

[Neil C]

What I'm wondering is - what if I just rock up at Liverpool St / Elsenham with my bike?  Does anyone use this route & know the score?  I seem to remember getting this exact train a few times for 'Uts audaxes at Ugley and their being no problem with several bikes in doorways, but that was a few years ago and things may have changed.

Any advice gratefully received!

About six weeks ago I used that exact route to get to the 'uts for an audax early one Saturday morning. Train fairly empty and no problems. A bit more crowded in the evening with people heading for London but still ok.

In the summer I came back from Cambridge on a Wednesday evening. Offically four bikes per train but there were at least eight in our group and quite a few others spread down the train. No problems or comments.

[Rod Marton]

Only time I took a bike to Stanstead I came from the other direction - no problems on Cross-Country trains. I've taken a bike to Bishops Stortford and Audley End a few times from London - no problems again - but I was always well outside peak hours. But I've never taken the Stanstead Express.

[Neil C]

Just out of interest how do others get their bikes to Stansted airport (no car, won't pay for taxi!)?

Some relevant comments in this Fenland Friends thread.
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=106881.msg2319829#msg2319829

[toontra]

Thanks all.  I've just spoken on the phone to a Liverpool Street manager and he confirmed that it's no-reservation - turn up and no problem (as some have suggested).

If only Greater Anglia had told me that 2 1/2 hours ago ......

[ElyDave]

I've only ever had a problem on the line heading from Ely to Cambridge, they are a bit fastidious about the "no fixed bikes past past Cambridge during peak hours" bit, so you should be OK as per the various comments if off peak.

[cygnet]

"no fixed bikes past past Cambridge during peak hours"

Ride gears? 

[ElyDave]

I'll try that argument next time

[Whitedown Man]

Have spent the morning banging my head against the Greater Anglia brick wall. Kafkaesque and then some.

I want to travel from Liverpool Street to Ipswich, off-peak on a Friday, and shall be completely happy to catch a very slow stopping train if it means I can just turn up with an off peak ticket and walk onto the train with my bike. But nothing on the GA website tells you which trains are bike reservation only and which are “turn up and go”.

There seem to be three service types: 1hr 7m, 1hr 13m & 1hr 23m. If I pick one of the 1hr 23m services (during off peak hours) should I be OK?

TIA

[mrcharly-YHT]

I'm pretty sure (and I use those trains, albeit to travel to-from cambridge, and only occasionally), that you are fine to just turn and go, outside of peak times.

There are posters on the train stations in the fens. 'Peak' is from 7:30 to 9:30 am I think. Can't remember afternoon times, sorry.

[grams]

Despite being a couple of decades into the internet age, the best place to look is the printed timetables:

https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/sites/default/files/assets/download_ct/20181116/cHl84EdwFoe5TzJWQw1Oj4t5FP0BljptngbnJSInnpU/ga1812_web_mainline_table_2.pdf

The "intercity trains" that need bike reservations are the ones with a coffee cup and Wi-Fi symbol, mostly at :00 and :30 past each hour.

[Whitedown Man]

 

[trekker12]

I've turned up at Manningtree (on the London-Ipswich line) before without a reservation and the guard helped us put our bikes in the bike van (which had no bikes in at the time) on an intercity train - people are normally more helpful than rules.

Yesterday we got four bikes on a non-intercity Greater Anglia train and there was already one in the bike compartment so that made five on a train with spaces for four and the ticket inspector didn't bat an eyelid as we crammed them all in.