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Bikes on Train (Perth/Edin)

(14 posts)
  • Started 7 years ago by morepathsplease
  • Latest reply from morepathsplease

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  1. morepathsplease
    Member

    A couple of us will be taking a few days to cycle back from Inverness next month. Currently planning to cycle from Crianlarich to Perth and get a train back to Edinburgh. It's been a few years since I've taken a bike on a train so I was expecting it to be fairly straightforward but it seems that other people also want to take their bikes on trains and there may be no room for the day we return. Anybody here familiar with taking bikes on trains Perth/Edin (or Scotland generally) and how we are likely to be received if we just turn up on the day (a Tuesday afternoon, before rush hour hopefully)?

    We may change the final leg of the trip or just carry on to Edinburgh, if time allows. I did get the bike on for Edin/Inv although availability was limited for that as well.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  2. Roibeard
    Member

    Unfortunately it's a lottery. Helpful guards will allow many more bikes, and in many more places, than those officially marked.

    Unhelpful staff will insist you leave the bike behind or not travel.

    Options include making the bike luggage, either by bringing a folding bike, or removing wheels and having a (bin) bag to cover it.

    Alternatively be prepared to wait for the next one and try again (or be prepared to split your party).

    Travelling as a family, we've benefited from getting on at a terminus - getting on midway along a route seems much more problematic.

    Outside of commuting hours, you should have a better chance.

    Sorry that I can't be more positive - blame the government who decided to place a minimum of cycle space clause into the tender, which Scotrail have been altering capacity downwards to meet...

    Robert

    Posted 7 years ago #

  3. LaidBack
    Member

    There are some trains to Edinburgh that start in Perth. First come, first served no booking required. Not frequent but can research.
    Ones coming in from Inverness are always full.
    Sundays fewer trains.
    Have ended cycling on to Ladybank on occassion.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  4. gkgk
    Member

    The trains set off a few minutes after each hour and some are local (starting in Perth) which are the quietest ones, normally and most relaxed as they are often ready and waiting 10 mins before departure, mostly platform 5. You'd be unlucky to not get on at first attempt with 2 bikes on a Tues. You can have a carriage to yourself on the later trains, like the queen. There's no great commuter rush coming out of Perth to worry about.

    The (Mon-Sat) local ones are at 14.02, 16.00, 17.02, 19.11, 20.02, 22.43.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  5. jdanielp
    Member

    As Roibeard says, it's a bit of a lottery, yet I've never been unable to get my bike on a train even without a bike reservation (which I will get hold of if I can), but it's usually just me or two of us and it would normally be outside commuter times (and I have relatively little experience with the route to and from Perth). Having said that, I saw that a Twitter friend was left behind at Drumgelloch station as he was walking along the platform towards the bike carriage yesterday afternoon so maybe I've generally been lucky with my travels.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  6. acsimpson
    Member

    Is Drumgelloch one of the lines with driver operated doors? I've found them to be a lot less flexible with waiting until everyone is on.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  7. fimm
    Member

    Drumgelloch is on the Ardrie-Bathgate line - my regular commute. I think you are right that the doors are operated by the driver - we didn't have problems with the service during the recent strikes.
    I have to say that my experience on that line is that it is usually pretty bike-friendly - I have been on trains where the previous train had been cancelled and there were quite a few bikes as a result.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. DaveC
    Member

    Ive only been turned away once, on a very busy line from Ardguy to Inverness. At all other times, I've not had a problem.

    My suggestion is turn up early, try to get on the train at its starting station, not down the route. Travel in pairs and travel outside peak times. Very early in the morning and between 10am and 2pm are outside peak times.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. morepathsplease
    Member

    Thanks everyone for the very helpful replies. We're looking at a few options now, including an extra day to cycle back to Edinburgh, but really good have these tips should we stick with the original plan.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. gkgk
    Member

    I see services after 8.30pm are getting bus replacements during next 6 months for the ongoing electrification wworks, but not on the Perth - Ed line, just the one via stirling, I think.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. DaveC
    Member

    In our experience bus replacement means no travel. Bus drivers don't like to leave their comfortable seat to open doors for suitcases and stuff.

    If you have a prebooked seat from a minline station you may get a taxi replacement, if you are lucky.

    If you have time, take an extra day and cycle down. The least steep is south over the hill to Bridge of Earn, then via the main road (A912) to Glen Farg up the B996 (really a continuation of the A912 - as you have to leave the road to continue on the A912). This is a quietish road as most traffic take the M90. It comes out at the A91. From there head into Milnthort, and south into Kinross. Kinross is nice enough with cafes for lunch.

    Then follow the road into Cowdenbeath. Heading through Kelty leads to a steep long hill up Hill of Beath. Instead go through Cowdenbeath, and out to Crossgates and south to Inverkeithing. From there go through the town, and head to the bridge on the east side. I'm sure you know the rest. 60km.

    As an pleasant alternative, head to Bridge of Earn, (don't be tempted to head direct via Aberdalgie to Dunning - this way lies a very steep climb out of Perth!) then out to Dunning (shop & pubs) and then onto Auchterarder, and out through Glen Eagles to Braco. In Braco head left as you arrive (shop here too) and out to Dunblane through Kinbuck. From Dunblane take the dual carrageway to the M9 roundabout but stay off the M9 and head into Bridge of Allan. Head north of the river to Alloa and Clackmannan and then cross the new Kincardine bridge via the cycle path (marked) and out to Grangemouth and Bo'ness. Finally head into South Queensferry and in on the Route 1. This is a longer route than direct south, but flat and has little traffic to Bridge of Allan. 100km

    Dave C

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. gkgk
    Member

    That's interesting - south of Kinross, I always take the low-traffic tiny Cleish Hills road, right from Kinross to the last 2 miles into Dunf. It's got the big Cleish hill, but it's an up-and-over rather than a morale-sapping bubble wrap, so I quite like it. Good views, almost no cars.

    Never quite figured out a good route south of Dunf though - my previous favourite (Grange Rd) turned out to be the "road of death" on googling, iirc. I suppose if they'd just called it "Road of Death" there'd be complaints about house prices.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. southsider
    Member

    You can reserve up to 2 bikes on any train which originates in Inverness or Aberdeen - that includes ScotRail, Virgin Trains East Coast and CrossCountry trains. ScotRail and Virgin Trains East Coast both let you reserve a bike space online along with a ticket purchase but it can take a lot of trial and error to find a space. Easier to do via ScotRail's telesales line.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. morepathsplease
    Member

    DaveC - we were going to cycle across to Perth originally but are now aiming for Crianlarich/Callander probably picking our way back to Edinburgh from there - expect I'll be frothing at the mouth and will have had well enough of A roads by then.

    It was time-consuming trying to get a train with a bike space booking online, having to check each service and not knowing if I wasn't just missing something basic to activate the bike space option (each service I tried was full I guess). I did get further over the phone but nothing as hopeful as the information given here.

    Posted 7 years ago #

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