Bikes on Virgin Trains

TomJ

Anyone thinking of taking a pushbike onto a Virgin Train, be aware that you seem to need a booking. Certainly at the big stations (eg New Street, Euston) their staff will ask to see a reservation before allowing you to board with a bike; whether they have enough bodies to police this at samller stations I don't know. The booking is free and you can get it from the ticket office, but you need to get it at least 10 min before departure. It can be a bit of a pain if you weren't expecting it and delay you, so I thought I'd forewarn all y'all.

http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/trains/assisted-travel-luggage-bikes/#bike

Exile_geordie

I think most long distance train operators ask you to get a cycle reservation - its happened to me in the past on both east coast and west coast and I think the trains from Paddington too.

TomJ

When I got caught t'other week it was the first time it had happened to me, though I haven't taken a bike long distance by train that often; that said I had gone from Brum to York with it on CrossCountry earlier in the week without the same hassle, and no problems Londondon to Southampton last year.

Bottom line, probably best to check and get a reservation if possible...

yorkie2

TomJ wrote: »

Anyone thinking of taking a pushbike onto a Virgin Train, be aware that you seem to need a booking.

That's correct, and the same applies to most long distance operators.

TomJ wrote: »

... that said I had gone from Brum to York with it on CrossCountry earlier in the week without the same hassle...

You are much more likely to get away with it on CrossCountry, as the public have direct access to the cycle storage area. Some Guards will not challenge you to check for a reservation.

But some will, and I recall one in particular being incredibly rude about it when I travelled from Berwick to Newcastle (one stop, no intermediate stations) at short notice due to a sudden change in weather conditions causing me to change my travel plans. There were no other bikes on board. He didn't stop me boarding with it (he was at the other end of the train and he didn't want to delay the departure). I've not seen him since; hopefully he's no longer working for them!

Mids_Costcutter

A guide to taking your bike on the train with rules for each of Britain's 29 different train operators is available at:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/css/CycleLeaflet2015.pdf

With some operators a reservation is compulsory (Virgin Trains), with some it's just recommended (Cross Country), with others it's not possible to make a reservation and with some it's not possible to take a conventional bike on the train at all. But with such a fragmented and privatised rail system we shouldn't really be surprised should we?

In my experience making a reservation is too difficult and is probably intended to deter cycle and rail journeys. VT for example require a reservation to be made 24 hours in advance of travel, have a cycle storage area that can only be accessed by staff and use language like "bike space is very limited". Why don't the train operators allow a bike reservation to be made when booking a ticket online, just as you can tick to make a seat reservation?

geerex

Or, alternatively, leave your bike at home and hire one at the other end if need be.
Trains are for people, not bikes. They should just ban the bloody things full stop and the holier-than-thou a*hole cyclists whilst they're at it.

Mids_Costcutter

Hmmmm....

Integrated transport anyone?

TomJ

Some trains are for people. Well, people and baggage. Mostly those going into or out of the Smoke at peak hours. At least one train is for the Queen, who's not people but a personage.

Others are for coal or steel or, or... the night-mail carrying cheques and postal orders, letters for the rich, letters for the poor, the shop on the corner, the girl next door...

Many, nay, most are for people, baggage and bikes. You can tell this by the way the conditions of carriage say you can bring bikes on board, or by the facilities to stow bikes or a variety of other clues.

Tobster86

geerex wrote: »

Trains are for people, not bikes.

The train operators (i.e, the people that own, operate, and generate revenue from their trains) seem to disagree with you. My local one, First Great Western, go so far as to describe cyclists as "very welcome" to use their trains. https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/about-us/customer-services/cycling-policy

geerex wrote: »

They should just ban the bloody things full stop and the holier-than-thou a*hole cyclists whilst they're at it.

Not a single means of transport exists that isn't hated by a sizeable number of people with ill thought-out objections. Not even sailing; think of all the fish that get bumped on the head; someone will be up in arms over that.

alexanderalexander

Not directly answering your question I realise, but I find the 1970s-era InterCity 125s by far the easiest rolling stock to take a bike on, as they have a separate compartment at the end into which you can just cram as many bikes as you can physically fit (and on East Midlands Trains at least, no one ever checks reservations -- although I do always see that train staff have earnestly stuck my reservation ticket to the wall). More modern trains tend to be worse, sadly....