Bikes on trains in the UK

I fucking hate the new GWR ones
in their crappy reply it says it meets the Department for Transport standards, whoever wrote these needs to take a look at themselves and realise what an idiot they are
GWR are such melts

The new Class 800’s, which I believe are what are in the photos (although they talk about Cross Country who have have 220 voyagers which take 3 bikes and are shit) which have provision for 4 bikes, which I’ve used 3 times now with no issues

Previously you could book 3 on a HST class 43 (although 17 is the record held by BCC 😂 ) and 4 on a class 91, even though you could get a shitload in the rear car.

So it’s an improvement in official numbers terms, but after that, yes, there is no excess space.

The same applies to baggage, sadly

The article doesn't really get to the point that the new LNER and GWR trains were specified and ordered by the government, and the train companies have no choice in what they use. LNER is literally owned by the government too.

So this isn't about private companies doing whatever crap they can get away with, it's our own government choosing to give us crap.

If I buy a ticket on the GWR app and reserve a bike space, I don't seem to get anything confirming the bike space. Should I?

What kind of ticket? You should get extra bits for the bike space when you pick it up from a machine.

If it's one of their in-app barcode tickets, fuck knows.

The bike space on GWR is a bit crap, but all things considered, we should be lucky that there’s space at all.

The mandatory booking is just icing on the shit sandwich though. Kills any prospect of spontaneous getaways or bailouts if you have a mechanical. That’s the life changing issue.

it's the DfT being crap, I guess

Yep

Cold comfort

But technically you should be able to book a bike space for any journey at any ticket office

It does depend on there being a ticket office, it being staffed and there being bike space on the train though....

Aye on the app. I bailed out last night riding back from Bristol, no ticket office open at Newbury, no bike reservation option on the ticket machine, couldn't get through on the phone.

It's just weird the app lets you reserve a space but you get nothing to show for it, luckily I didn't have to debate this with the guard as loads of space at 7pm on a Sunday in November..

I was on an 8pm train from newbury to paddington last night as it happens. I got the reservation by messaging them on twitter. I just said the exact train I was on and then the customer service rep sent back an image from their booking system. I go on GWR pretty regularly and cant remember last time I was asked for a reservation. That said, with there only being 4 spaces because its shit (I actually also work at the DfT) it's probably worth doing it.

GWR team on Facebook messenger are great, super easy to book bike spaces, always one unreserved pot luck space on every train.

GWR also good via WhatsApp to make/amend bike reservations from my experiences

Facebook apps >>>

Shouldn't have to rely on malware/spyware to book a bike spot on a train. The difference between the UK and, say, Belgium when it comes to booking tickets is Tony Stark. Belgium with English as a second language is easier to book bike tickets for than here.

Booking my bike onto the train home for xmas was pain-free at the ticket office, genuinely easy and pleasant. Trying to reserve for the way back is a joke. Why can't I find phone numbers for ticket offices? Why can't I call that person who made it so easy and have the same lovely experience?

If I've booked a train trip through thetrainline, what extra fuckery do I need to do to get a bike spot booked on it?

Scratch that. Looks like thetrainline can add a bike to a booking.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53041045

This sounds promising...

"The first carriage is expected to be completed later this year, and will come into service once staff have been trained up."

Nifty. Yesterday I was talking to the missus about going up to Scotland for some riding during summer (pending lockdown rules) given all our other trips have been cancelled.

Imagine one on every intercity, the ease of turn up and go or just wait for the next one... That's my dream.

Add to that commuter services with dedicated spaces. But that might actually require a proper integrated transport policy...

Let's hope the Scotrail project is well-used and proves a big success. Then, who knows?

How are the Chiltern Railways with bikes generally? Trying to come up with options for taking knobby tyres out to the Chilterns without wasting 3hrs riding out there.

They're great, I've never had an issue. No need to book a spot, just show up and hop on (assuming you're not traveling at peak times).

Yeah, I want to do the Chiltern Ridgeway thing with the missus but I don't think we're up for 350k round trip and she doesn't have enough bivvy kit/bikepacking bags to sleep out with me.

I've got time off for a wedding that didn't happen so I was thinking about early weekday morning riding to Harrow & Wealdstone and taking train to Tring. 5:46->6:17 and that leaves a large chunk of the day to ride the route.

Then work out how to get back - maybe a train from Marlborough. Nope just looked, no trains, so maybe ride 13mi to Swindon and then train back from there. 23:19 is the last train to Paddington, then ride back from Paddington.

Yeah, just turn up and stick your bikes in the doorway - even on the express trains to Brum I've never had an issue.