CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

I don't allow bikes near the front of the train

(17 posts)

  1. fimm
    Member

    Was on my usual train back from Livingston North this evening. It was a bit busier than usual and I ended up carrying the folded Brompton the full length of the train before standing in the doorway nearest the front with it.

    At Uphall station, someone got on with a bike to stand in the next doorway back. The driver came out of his compartment and said something along the lines of
    "Move that bike further back down the train, please. For health and safety reasons I don't allow bikes near the front of the train, go further back."
    and, as the guy did as he was asked "and now you've held up the train..."

    What irritated me was 1) how was the person with the bike supposed to know he was going to be asked not to put his bike there? I've never come across this before
    2) I felt that the driver didn't exactly give him very long to move down the platform to the next set of doors - I actually went and looked out the doors where I was, to check that he'd made it on.

    I guess I'll be emailing ScotRail in the morning...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    The driver? Came out of his compartment?

    never seen that ever. The ticket gadgie fo' sure but the driver? mental

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Aren't the carriages with bike storage marked on the side of the train? If I was in the correct area, and a driver said that to me, I would have told him to go and take a run somewhere!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    http://issuu.com/passtrans/docs/abelliosupp-p01-20?e=2704081/3012588

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    @baldycyclist

    Again, driver?the driver drives the train from the cab, he or she never seems to venture out, for quite sound reasons.

    The clippie for sure. And with the clippie all human frailties reign

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. allebong
    Member

    Never seen anything like that before. Had my dealings with the ticket guy/gal as we all have but I can't say I've ever seen the driver leave his cab. Used to get that train quite often too.

    Definitely worth the email to see if there's some arcane rule about it. I know there's a regulation about how many bikes you can have in the rack things on the Falkirk line but most of the inspectors don't seem to mind you putting in more as long as you're not silly about it.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. skotl
    Member

    The few times that I take the bike on a train I find that different models of coaches have the bike markings in different places.
    Then each collection of carriages seem to have the bike-carriages in different locations!

    Combine that with the fact that a coming-in-to-land train still moves pretty quickly along the platform and I always find it a little stressful to pick out which exact carriage I'm supposed to be in.

    You'd think this would be an easy factor to standardise, right?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. Slug
    Member

    This is a strange one! A few weeks ago I cycled along the canals from Edinburgh to Mlngavie and on reaching the train station in Milngavie, I just hopped onto a carriage around the middle of the train. As Milngavie is a terminus, there was plenty of time and hardly anyone around and a friendly ticket guy informed me that there were dedicated bike carriages at the 'front' and back of the train, where I could tie my bike up and take a seat, (I had been standing by my bike at a doorway). Being a complete novice to cycling, I thought this was brilliant... but this puts a whole new slant on it.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. skotl
    Member

    Last night I got on a train with my bike and everyone looked at me as if I was a moron.

    *This* train had twelve slots for bikes, where they were all supposed to be hung upside down by their rear wheels from hooks on the ceiling!

    How are we supposed to figure out what is an acceptable way to carry a bike on a train, when pretty much every train is different?

    Back to the original point, sounds like the driver was being a bit kno**ish.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. Slug
    Member

    What struck me is there was no indication - or even a hint - of 'bike-friendly' carriages. I eventually just chose one at random but a very helpful guard pointed me in the right direction. How difficult would it be to put a sticker of a bike (or whatever) on the carriages where the bike racks were located?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. gembo
    Member

    @fimm, please confirm whether it was the driver or the conductor.

    The Edinburgh Stirling train has the cycle signs on the appropriate carriage door usually. And usually it is a
    Bar thing for up to two bikes in the carriage which has six bikes on it. Sometimes it is a cupboard that only those with much experience can get more than one bike into.

    Conversely the slow train to Glasgow via shotts may not have a sign, I have never looked as I know that there will always be ten free spaces at thie front of the train, no one ever uses it for bike purposes. I have used that train often as foot passenger so know where the hooks are at.

    The new lines to Milngavie, Helensburgh and Alloa, I have had bikes on but on a quiet Sunday, think more like the Stirling train but newer rolling stock

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. Darkerside
    Member

    Ooh, this might actually be one I can answer. The Edinburgh-Queen Street-Helensburgh slow train has no bike spaces, but they're always fine with sticking them by the toilet. Middle carriage in each set of three, you want the end with no windows.

    They can be a bit funny with then anywhere else.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. fimm
    Member

    Yes, definitely the driver. I'd shown my ticket to the ticket man when I first got on at the other end of the train, so to start with when this second ScotRail employee appeared I couldn't work out where he could have come from - and then I realised he was the driver. I was standing in the door area nearest to the driver's compartment.

    As @Darkerside points out and @Slug discovered, these trains (on the Bathgate - Ardrie line, continuing to either Milngavie or Helensburgh) do not have an official bike space at all. What they do have is a large and flexible open area where bikes can be conveniently stored (but nothing to attach the bikes too). Earlier this week I noted that a wheelchair user was in that area along with at least a couple of bikes, showing that this can be done with a bit of flexibility all round. I think there may be a wheelchair sign on the door next to this space, but if you don't know the rolling stock there's no reason why you'd take a bike in where there's a wheelchair sign.

    If that flexible space is busy, cyclists also use the spaces by the doors. Between Livingston North and Haymarket (including Haymarket) all the station platforms are on the left (facing direction of travel) so you can leave a bike on the right without inconveniencing anyone wanting to get off the train. As I have the Brompton I try and leave all these spaces free for the full-sized bikes and take mine next to my chair, or leave it in the door area if it is busy. My sense is that the train staff are usually pretty flexible & tolerant of all this but as I don't routinely take a non-folding bike on those trains I don't actually know.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. PS
    Member

    It may have been another ScotRail employee getting a free ride - it's a pretty common occurrence for two guys to be in the cab. It's also not an uncommon occurrence for a member of ScotRail staff to enjoy throwing their weight around a bit just because they feel like it, which isn't ideal given that the acceptance or refusal of bikes on trains is left to the train staff's discretion...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  15. cb
    Member

    Not clear from the OP if fimm carried the Brompton down the interior of the train or down the platform. Hard work if the former, although the latter's not exactly a walk in the park either.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  16. fimm
    Member

    I carried the Brompton down the interior of the train, as I was looking for a free set of 4 chairs that I could occupy with it (not usually a problem, but this train seemed busier than usual, which is why I ended up choosing to stand in the door). I have the rear rack on the Brompton which has little wheels which means I can wheel it in front of me, which is slightly easier than carrying it.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  17. Slug
    Member

    The train from Milngavie to Edinburgh did have a metal bar for bikes to be securely attached to, but I only became aware of this because the guard showed me. It was like a passageway at the end of the compartment with the bar along one side that a few bikes could be attached to, but wide enough for people walking past. This meant I could sit in the compartment in comfort and still see my bike a few yards away, even though the train was mobbed going through Glasgow. Apparently there was a similar carriage near the back of the train.

    I thought it was quite impressive but would be better if the carriage was marked in some way to show it was 'the bike carriage' rather than having to rely on a friendly guard to tell me.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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