PSA More Bike Spaces on Scotrail

This, this is a good thing.

I'm planning on making use of it in 10 days.

At last.

Excellent, have they put them all next to the toilets again? Always a fun journey watching people (drunk and sober)trying to operate the door locks. 😉 🤪

At last.

Indeed.
I also note that they are now taking bike bookings on website, not just phone.

6 spaces on an Intercity set? That's absolute pish. What happened to the guards van that would put an SDA cattle truck to shame?

I mean, I suppose its good to have any space but that's still poor by any metric.

Good news, but still pretty meagre provision. I hope the new spaces are a little more generous than the existing ones.

At a guess, the biking community need to start using it more frequently...the additional space doesn't sound huge but is still an improvement, so if more people start using it perhaps more space can be introduced.

I've not used trains much over the last 20 years, but before then I was using them a bit more frequently and I do recall trips to Aviemore with the guard's van being crammed full of bikes...always a good sight to see as it always suggested people were away for adventures. I'm guessing it isn't as common now so the demand has dried up a fair bit.

The demand is there. There was a thread recently where nobody could get a booking for Glasgow - Inverness. The only way was by going Glasgow - Aberdeeen - Inverness. Not on every route all the time obviously.

But as rail is heavily subsidised and the govt is theoretically pro cycling they should be mandating adequate cycle carriage spaces.

Neat, but would it hurt Scotrail to paint murals on the sides of the trains to highlight which carriages have the bike storage, wheelchair bays, toilets, etc.

It would save a ton of guesswork when the train pulls into the platform.

Maybe they could throw the design suggestions to schools and colleges?

Tentatively positive. It's a step in the right direction.

I hope they're able to take actual real size adult bikes, unlike some of the ones we have in England that seem to be sized for kids bikes.

This is good too:

I also note that they are now taking bike bookings on website, not just phone.

As is this:

Alex Hynes, Scotland’s Railway Managing Director, said:

“As a keen cyclist myself

This is a shame:

Cycle reservations are compulsory for High Speed Trains.

Cycle reservations are compulsory for High Speed Trains.

Twice this summer we've rocked up without booking and both had space and not been turned away or given any hard time at all.
(That's Stirling - Perth on IC125)

Great news!

I had to beg a guard to let me on a train with my bike when traveling to Blair Athol before. This was for the CL300 group start in 2020, as there was only 2 bike spaces which already full. There was no provision to book the spaces either.

Agree there should be more made available. Couldn't they just add more fold down seats?

Being the sad git that I am, I read into the InterCity 125 trains being reused by ScotRail. They said there was loads of space in the guard section of the engine for bikes. They're not opening them up currently, think the main concern is loiter time at stations.

However would be good if they could open them up for people traveling from the originating station to the final destination station.

That's even worse then. Typical bloody Scotrail.

I’m guessing it isn’t as common now so the demand has dried up a fair bit.

No chance, there’s huge demand. I’m sure it would be even greater if people weren’t so used to the horrendous hassle you can get, even when you’ve booked a place. Trying to take a family away together with say 4 bikes, is near impossible.
Hopefully this will be an improvement.

All companies should make it easier to travel with bikes.

Round here the you can’t book bike spots on trains, they just say ‘spaces a available on a first come first served basis’ which is no use to anyone. I can’t book a cheaper advance ticket specifying a train in case there are no bike spots and if I want a day out I have to rock up and hope - and if not just wait another hour.

No thanks, I’ll drive.

All companies should make it easier to travel with bikes.

Public transport full stop.

Scotrail staff vary. A guard let me om at John O Groats despite the 2 spaces already being used. At Oban the 6 spaces were used by bikes with bookings. The guard refused to let a local going 2 stops bring his bike on.

I booked mine on from Blair Atholl to Stirling the other week, after a very helpful whatsapp conversation with Angus at Scotrail.
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Once I'd got it strapped up I found the spaces for bikes in the carriage.

Stirling to Edinburgh was a 'local service' which you can't book bike spaces on. Me and two others, no problem but it was a worry.