Cycles and trains

I notice the 'extended deadline for entries and nominations - Friday 16
September'

Anything to do with not actually receiving any? 🙂

tom said:

I notice the 'extended deadline for entries and nominations - Friday 16
September'

Anything to do with not actually receiving any? 🙂

I discovere the hard way that the new barriers at railway stations ,
well Haymarket, carry the mark of idiot. Try carrying a medium
sized piece of luggage through (fold unfold fold unfold) and the gate
shuts while the carrier is going through - cue telling off by peed off
employee.

Suppose I have to wait for the gate.... At least that employs a human
ticket checker.

As an antidote. I noticed that there is room for 6 bikes on the tiny
train that runs from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central - 6! Now I can
think of a few big locomotive hauled behemoths that are far more
restrictive.. Shows what can be done when there is a will

Richard Webb

Quoted message said:

As an antidote. I noticed that there is room for 6 bikes on the tiny train
that runs from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central - 6! Now I can think of a few
big locomotive hauled behemoths that are far more restrictive.. Shows what
can be done when there is a will

Absolutely. The small 2-carriage trains operated by Wessex trains in the
south west have space for at least 8 bikes, and I would say 12.
Unfortunately, those in power set an upper limit of 2. Yes, 2 - despite
there being space for more.

Roll on my move to Edinburgh!

In message <[email hidden]>

Bryan said:

Well having had many varied experiences of getting bikes on trains (as
have others on the ng) thought the 'National Rail-Cycle awards' might
be of interest, shame thee isn't a 'worst station', and biggest
jobsworth :-) Details here
http://www.singletrackworld.com/article.php?sid=1694
and full information here:
www.cyclerailawards.com

My nomination would be Maidstone Baracks to Aylesford about ten years ago.
No ticket machines or booths at baracks. (ok there is a flight of stairs.)
No ticket checkers at Aylesford.
Guard on the train opened the double doors for the luggage section,
then went off. At Aylesford got off the train, not paying a penny.
(Five minute Journey).

Although I did have to walk the bike home for twenty odd minutes, and
spend some money on it. (rear derailer broke).

Martin.

--
Typed by monkey #27662472869676 on typewriter #7552416572242
When emailing me, please include the word Banana in the subject line.

Richard Webb said:

On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:57:20 GMT, tom <[email hidden]> wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

As an antidote. I noticed that there is room for 6 bikes on the tiny
train that runs from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central - 6! Now I can
think of a few big locomotive hauled behemoths that are far more
restrictive.. Shows what can be done when there is a will

Bear in mind that this is not the direct and fastest route between
Edinburgh and Glasgow. The (every) 15 min service which goes between
Waverly and Glasgow Queen street uses Turbostars whose bike capacity is
2(?) bikes per 3 car set.

There are accasional GNER services between Waverly and Glasgow which are
loco-hauled.

Kennedy

Bryan said:

Well having had many varied experiences of getting bikes on trains (as
have others on the ng) thought the 'National Rail-Cycle awards' might
be of interest, shame thee isn't a 'worst station', and biggest
jobsworth :-) Details here
http://www.singletrackworld.com/article.php?sid=1694
and full information here:
www.cyclerailawards.com

I see there is nothing stopping you making negative nominations. So for
example you could nominate Southern under the "Most Innovative Approach
to Cycle/Rail Integration" for the banning of cyclists doing the London
Brighton run or National Rail for withdrawing the on-line bike
reservation system and making it more and more difficult to make the
increasingly required bike reservation. Or Wessex Trains under the
"Best Customer Service" for making a cyclist miss two trains through
jobsworthiness. Best Government contribution could be the removal of
Anglia Railways' franchise for repeatedly winning the Cyclemark Award

It might be a rather amusing way of getting the message through that the
railways are going backwards as far as cycling provision is concerned.

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 09:05:33 +0100 someone who may be Tony Raven
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I see there is nothing stopping you making negative nominations.

I have nominated Scotrail. Some of their staff are jobsworths and
will not allow more than two bikes on trains with space for at least
five. I'm sure they would like to prevent all cyclists on "their"
trains.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

"David Hansen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have nominated Scotrail. Some of their staff are jobsworths and
will not allow more than two bikes on trains with space for at least
five. I'm sure they would like to prevent all cyclists on "their"
trains.

I've nominated Indian Railways. They are bloody good when compared to our
muppets.

T

David Hansen said:

I have nominated Scotrail. Some of their staff are jobsworths and
will not allow more than two bikes on trains with space for at least
five. I'm sure they would like to prevent all cyclists on "their"
trains.

To be fair to Scotrail they do have their upsides. I have frequently
carried a bike from Edinburgh to Glasgow during rush hour with no
complaints from the staff, and the conductor once asked people on a busy
train to move so that my mate and I could put our bikes on.

GNER on the other hand... most of the time they're fine, but when they
get it wrong!

Jon

Jon Senior said:

To be fair to Scotrail they do have their upsides.

Absolutely. Some guards on some of their trains seem to be working
on the amazing assumption that good customer service (a.k.a.
helping their clients) is a Good Thing!

A pal cycles/commutes from Dundee to Montrose every day. He has a
Brom so it's not a problem, but he reports attitudes to more
typical bikes is very much dependent on the guards. Some fall over
themselves to help, some don't really mind either way, and some (as
David suggests) appear to be on a mission to have cyclists and
their troublesome machines eliminated. Consistent they ain't, though.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

On Sun, 07 Aug 2005 13:16:54 +0100 someone who may be Peter Clinch
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Absolutely. Some guards on some of their trains seem to be working
on the amazing assumption that good customer service (a.k.a.
helping their clients) is a Good Thing!

Indeed they do. IMX the good ones outnumber the bad ones by a
little, which is why I was careful to say I was only referring to
some.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.