Until recently I've been able to reserve a bicycle space ONLINE on Virgin Edinburgh to London when booking the ticket. But that option no longer seems to be available. Does anyone have information about that and what the options are? Many thanks.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
Reserving bike space online on East Coast route
(54 posts)- Started 7 years ago by ih
- Latest reply from chdot
- This topic is
resolved
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Posted 7 years ago #
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The rollout of the new VTEC web site has been an utter disaster. If I had been involved in the management of this project I would be trying to find a way to disguise what I'd been doing for the last several months when I came to up date my CV.
Anyway, minor ranting aside: some other train operating companies (TOCs) do still offer the facility to book bike spaces online for any TOC that requires it. (Any TOC can sell tickets for any TOC in the UK - they have to by law. And they can't charge a fee for it, unlike
chancerstravel agents like TheTrainLine*.)See http://saveecrewards.co.uk/cycling/bike-reservation-online for a list of TOCs that will make bike reservations alongside ticket bookings.
Apparently VTEC's current advice is to make your bike reservation through their call centre. By all accounts this can take ages sitting on hold, so I would suggest that you don't bother trying, given that there is a perfectly good alternative. Well done again, VTEC.
The only potential downside I am aware of in booking your ticket for a VTEC service through a different TOC is that you don't get a free wifi code. It's your judgement whether VTEC's wifi is of sufficient value to make it worthwhile braving VTEC's call centre to get the bike reservation.
* Although a number of TOCs actually use TheTrainLine's booking engine in the background. But they still don't charge a fee - they're not allowed to.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Yes, a pain that what was a good website (basically operated in the same way by several East Coast train owners back to GNER) has inexplicably lost the bike booking bit.
I usually book train tickets online (free wifi 'essential' on long trip) and then go to a station to book the bike.
You get certainty and tickets in your hand. I once tried to get bike tickets over the phone and was told there were no bike spaces left (this was about 2 months in advance, and seemed unlikely).
The station computer knew the truth.
How difficult is it to get that info integrated into the 'new' website??!
Posted 7 years ago # -
The Scotrail website still lets you book bike spaces on any service for any operator (at least it did when I used it a month ago). No free wi-fi, though.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Yup, that's listed on the page I linked above.
chdot is correct that probably the most reliable way of reserving a bike space is to go to the station in person - and it allows you to book the ticket on VTEC's web site and thus get free the wifi. You can pick the ticket up from one of the machines at the station before you go on to speak to a real live human being to make the bike reservation.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks all. I've booked tickets and reserved bike space but had to make the trip into the station.
Scotrail website "appears to offer" online bike reservation, but doesn't when you go through the booking process. Next time I'll try one of the other TOCs your link listed @ej.
The obvious problem with reserving the bike space after you've bought the tickets is that there might not be a space available. Then what?
Posted 7 years ago # -
I've definitely recently booked bike space on the Scotrail website without any problems. However I've been tripped up before in that it won't let you book a bike space unless you also book a seat (which isn't automatic on flexible tickets)
Posted 7 years ago # -
@Greenroofer Well... I definitely reserved a seat on a specific train, but not a hint of anything about bike space.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I'm just booking a train now on EC (Cross Country) via ScotRail site. I am registered so this view is with a log in so they can send me code.
As @Greenroofer says, you can only book once you have selected seats - in this case the bike availability doesn't become live till return seats are booked.
This CC train has one bookable space although the booking is for two of us.
Once booked the site gives resumé of whole booking with bike space appearing just as a normal item. Quite good actually. I just go to station and 2 bike tickets come out of the vending machine. I rarely do a manual bike booking now.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Thanks @Laidback. I'm going to do some dummy runs to see if that option comes up. I was logged in to the ScotRail site but it looked different from the page you posted, and I didn't get the bike option after reserving the seat. I wonder if the problem is that the booking was for a Virgin service. I'll experiment. Is there any chance you could post a link to the site you used?
All that aside, it's absolute garbage that Virgin have removed functionality.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Right, ScotRail booking website. Amazingly the key to whether you get the bike reservation option is, whether you're on the mobile website (m.buytickets. ..) or the other one (www.buytickets.ScotRail. ...). With the former, you don't get the bike option, with the latter, you do. I tend to use a smallish android tablet, and if I'm holding it portrait way up, it thinks it's a mobile (no bike option), if landscape, it thinks it's a PC (bike option).
Posted 7 years ago # -
“I'm holding it portrait way up, it thinks it's a mobile (no bike option), if landscape, it thinks it's a PC (bike option)“
That makes ‘sense’.
“other one (www.buytickets.ScotRail. ...). With the former, you don't get the bike option, with the latter, you do”
That doesn’t!
Posted 7 years ago # -
That 'explains' the mixed experiences people are having.
With the rise of 4G and mobile / tablet use they really need to make sure that the same mobile options are visible as PC site at https://www.scotrail.co.uk/
Posted 7 years ago # -
@ih: I tend to use a smallish android tablet, and if I'm holding it portrait way up, it thinks it's a mobile (no bike option), if landscape, it thinks it's a PC (bike option).
If you're using Chrome, there should be a tickbox on the 'three wee dots in a row' menu to "Request desktop site". I think that is 'sticky' for a particular web site, but I could be wrong. If I am then it's probably not a whole lot of help...
It's a pain that web sites display differently, and sometimes offer different functions, on a mobile device vs a desktop. But the real offender here is, again, VTEC, who have comprehensively ballsed up their online booking service for no readily apparent reason other than making it more 'edgy'. Who needs 'edge' when what you actually want to do is book a train ticket? It's like their 'amusing' notices asking you not to block the toilets on the trains, which cease to be amusing after you've seen them...well, once, really.
Posted 7 years ago # -
@ejstubbs Thanks for that useful tip; a quick look at scotrail site seems to confirm it.
Still odd though (to my mind) that mobile and desktop sites offer different functionality, and unforgivable that Virgin have removed functionality.
Posted 7 years ago # -
The worst of it is when I worked for Trainline a million odd years ago the booking system the lowly flunkies used was a nasty web front end to the old CLI booking system. Whilst it looked dated it was perfectly capable of reserving bicycle spaces at the same time as purchasing tickets.
I suspect when one trys to book a bike space with out a ticket one is routed to a back office team who are still using CRS (or what ever its been replaced with) whilst the front end guys are still using a derivitive of TRACS which is basically just the website.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Ahhhhhh....
Trying to book a family trip down to Berwick and have been told I can only book a maximum of 2 bikes per booking...
So looks like we'll need to be on separate bookings / trains.
Trying to get to Holy Island so will be constrained by tide times - just got nowhere with the phone line - will go into the station and try again later.
Why is it so hard...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Have gone through Scotrail site (should have read this thread first) and managed to get 3 bike spaces on the trains I want. So, I'll either be taking the tandem (and pretending it is collapsible) or putting the littlest bike in a bag...
Posted 6 years ago # -
@HC - if you need a folder, drop me a PM.
I'm not around this week, but can provide one from the weekend, which should act as a stress reliever...
Robert
Posted 6 years ago # -
If the bike space is one of maybe 12 in the guard's van / mail van the tandem should be fine. If it is the wee cubbyhole at the back I am not sure a tandem can be hung up in it?
Took the 9 a.m out of Edinburgh one Saturday and reached Newcastle 10.30a.m. Rail chaos was ensuing for those heading south but we were taking the mad Sustrans route to Berwick. We had an overnight at Howick which was nice and a trip out to the Farne Islands we then arrived very early for train at Berwick but were alliowed on. This was in the days of steam of course. Big guards van both ways. I was subsequent disappointed at the cubbyhole on a trip to London.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Thanks Roibeard. I hadn't considered taking an adult folder, but that's a good shout. It's booked for next month, so I'll have a try with a bag for the small bike first and let you know if I need to take up your very kind offer.
I could have spread us over 2 trains but that would mean we couldn't all use the family railcard and I wanted it as cheap as possible in case the weather is really manky and we ditch the cycling idea - a distinct possibility in February.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Helios is short and light enough not to be considered a nuisance to rail staff (generally).
Pull off saddle with stokers bars and then it's just one very long odd bmx bike :-)
The old HST sets are 'designed' for bikes to hang but should fit Helios at an angle.
Virgin Cross Country units have cubby holes / hanging wardrobes. If you're Virgin East Coast Electric then it's fine.
Generally staff interactions are to tell you not to do it again or how they are looking forward to new trains where 'non standard' stuff will not fit at all.
(Hitachi Azuma trains - https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/news/new-announcement )Posted 6 years ago # -
Check http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk (same day of week/time if booking is too far ahead for actual train) to see if expected to be electric.
I have hung a tandem (it’s a pain but just about fits) - but don’t forget they are supposed to have two bike tickets.
Extra tickets can be got from a station (if there are spaces left) by taking in your ticket/seat reservation.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Pop into EGY on the way home to print all 20 of my tickets!
I asked at the desk if I could get another bike space and was told that the HST only have 3 spaces. I knew it was bad, but that's ridiculous.
Helpfully he did suggest speaking to the train manager before dismantling any bike as they may take it whole. Which gives us a chance heading South but we wouldn't be able to risk it heading North.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@hankchief, only 3 in the cubby hole but some of the inter city still have the whole goods wagon, I watched a gaggle of mamils wheel their bikes down a platform from the office window in November. @chdot seems to have some juju which predicts which type of train will be running?
The last time I took train to londn in October I went for the first train in the morning as it takes 4 hours. However they had just cancelled it and the next train seven minutes later took an hour longer - made me late for a boring meeting. However, you can claim the ticket back.
They are not making it easy for Family Hankchief to cycle to holy island from Berwick. However Roibeard is offering you his Brommie, which may help?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Real Time Trains advanced search will tell you the difference
Click on the 4 digit ID the headcode column to get the detailed view
It'll say either High Speed Train (HST125) or Electric locomotive at the top for Virgin Trains East Coast or 220/221 (Voyager) for CrossCountry
Posted 6 years ago # -
So today I hassled Virgin's Twitter account. After much to-ing and fro-ing I was told that the electric trains have 5 spaces and the Diesels 3 spaces.
My trains are diesels apparently. Which surprised me a bit as my trains don't go north of Edinburgh, which I thought was the key differentiator.
They couldn't give me any clues as to which trains had 5 spaces and the only way to book 4 is to DM them and they will 'try' to help.
Very poor service - they seemed content that there wasn't a way for a family of 4 to easily travel together. :(
( I realise some of you know this already, but it has been quite an eye opening experience for me)
I also asked that they escalate the fact their call centre only let's you book 2 bikes but Scotrail's website allows you to book 3.
They said it had been escalated, but they couldn't tell me when a decision would be made or tell me the result.
They just don't care...
Posted 6 years ago # -
Previously -
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/jun/17/cycling-rail-atoc
Posted 6 years ago # -
Frustrating. Virgin Trains Twitter clearly isn't the brightest Twitter account: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42542640
Posted 6 years ago # -
@chdot - Guardian from 2010 - still current!
@acsimpson - their PR people will be on to that.
@hankchief - cycling families are a 'non valid category' - GNER had that discussion before they went bust.Posted 6 years ago #
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