[Closed] New restrictions to taking bikes on Trains, petition

done

Are GWR reducing storage on their trains? [b]Probably[/b], and down to 2 or 3 on some 'high speed' trains, instead of increasing to meet demand.

Signed - although, in fairness, I turned up to a high speed GWR train at Exeter this morning with no bike reservation, and an el cheapo advance ticket for a later train - and they just let me on.

Me and a mate nearly fell foul of this on Saturday - I'd pre booked Paddington to Swindon (for access to the Ridgeway start) and had specifically checked the bike situation and The Trainline clearly says bike reservations are not necessary.
Obviously the train guard had a different view (as did a gobby young woman who had reserved a place for her bike and made sure everyone knew we hadn't, even though there were only 5 bikes for the 6 spaces, so room for everyone).

Anyway at the point it looked like it might become a problem, we stashed the bikes and disappeared into the train with only a couple of minutes to spare, figuring the guard wasn't going to unload them if we weren't around.

Bloody annoying though and I'd have been mightily pissed if we'd been left on the platform with 60 quids worth of useless tickets

FGWR is a private company and may be getting new trains soon, if they can get them to work out of the factory and the electric wires are all instaled topower them, otherwise its diesel power.But ive digressed a bit.

Loading and unloading bikes takes time and may cause delay minutes to the train, and the train company will be liable to pay Network rail for delays it causes,also the new japanese designed and assembled in the uk, will probably have very limited space for bikes as seats make money, and take up less space than bike spaces.

^^ build adequate time into the timetable...?

That increase station dwell time, and blocks the platform from use by other services, what would be nice is a dedicated coach for cyclists, seats one side , bike racks the other, but to costly and would increase network rail charges quite a bit, and by adding an extra coach, trains may be to long for platforms.

I used to put my bike on the 7.20 train from Hastings to Bexhill if the wind was howling and I was feeling lazy.
There would never be more than 1 person per carriage .
One day the guard put a sign on my bike. I thought it would be about days out on your bike. Turns out I was no longer able to put my bike on a deserted train as it arrived in London at 9am.
Bloody stupid.

I would be quite happy to pay a fee to take my bike on a train if it guaranteed hassle free transport , especially when having to change trains as well .

Signed, I'm not from the area, but the whole booking thing seems very anti green to me. There should be more bike spaces, not less, luckiy where I live it's not an issue, and the operators seem very accommodating.

I take the bike on the train all the time, to go touring, visit friends and family, to go mountain biking, and it is almost always a massive hassle. There have been so many times when I think to myself "**** it, I'm going to learn to drive and get myself a van."

The horror that is taking a bike on a train shows just how little we really care about cycling in this country. How little the so-called "Bike Boom" is really happening. Integrated transport network my arse. Bastards.

I thought all the franchises were required to provide a minimum of 3 spaces two of which can be reserved and one that cannot.

boilingfrog - Member

Hi all,
not sure if you're aware of this, but if not, please sign the petition against making taking bikes on trains even more difficult.
Thanks,

Jim

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/bike-reservations-on-trains-the-beginning-of-the-end?bucket=blast
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Given East Coast has had the same bike reservations policy* since before it was East Coast, im not sure this is the 'beginning-of-the-end' some think it is, but then I suppose its the South, so it matters now 🙄

Please remember Jim to support something North of Watford next time you ask for everyone in the world to sign your petition.

*I respect that it is possible to get on a train without a cycle reservation, but not always, guards discretion etc.