Train Pal & Bicycles Warning.

pete_r

I just bought a discounted Senior Railcard after reading the latest news letter. All seems to be OK unless of course the company folds and the app is closed down.

Since they only do split ticket prices you cannot book a Bicycle on any part of your route. You have to buy the ticket first then contact the train operator to see if they have a space. Obviously not ideal if like me you use a bike often.

A few journey checks show the prices are cheaper than National Rail and  "Spit Ticket" were even cheaper but again no Bicycle booking allowed.

Johnmcl7

I don't know about other train operating companies but Scotrail show split ticket options and they also show bike spaces on non-Scotrail services, I'm not sure if you can automatically reserve those spaces though without contacting the operating company separately.  It may be worth checking if any of the train companies that operate on the routes you're using offer something similar.

Thankfully it's normally only Scotrail I'm dealing with but while I'd like to take the bike with me down to Yorkshire on the train it just seems too difficult to find not just available spaces but also working out which trains can fit the bike.  It's frustrating since these days I'd rather take the train than a long drive but it's just easier chucking the bike in the car knowing I can get it there and back ok.

Neil49

You are not restricted to buying tickets through the Train Pal app. Your Senior Railcard discount can be applied through any train company website or other split ticketing app.

In your case, your only problem is finding a website that allows you to book your bicycle space at the same time as you purchase your ticket. 

pete_r

YesNeil49 said:

You are not restricted to buying tickets through the Train Pal app. Your Senior Railcard discount can be applied through any train company website or other split ticketing app.

In your case, your only problem is finding a website that allows you to book your bicycle space at the same time as you purchase your ticket. 

Yes I understand that. What I didn't understand and is not mentioned in the MSE article is that if the app closes you are not certain a copy will be sufficient.

National Rail and most train operators allow the booking of bicycles but as stated above they are very quickly snapped up.