So you happily purchase your train ticket, but blissfully unaware that the train operator has engineering work planned that weekend and although you can take your bike on the train you can’t take it on the replacement bus service.

I don’t get why

1) Engineering works are not mentioned at all when you purchase the ticket on the Trainline.com

2) Shouldn’t the operators be forced to offer continuity of service so that people with non folding bikes can get to their destination?

PS – if anyone knows how I can get from Shrewsbury to Chester on Saturday so that I can reach Conwy Saturday evening then ideas welcomed. Was thinking of cycling, but I need to reach the connecting train at Chester.

I often wonder the same. What do you do if you’re doing a long journey and you’re miles away from home OR the place you’re travelling to and there’s a huge bus connecting link? Never experienced it myself and it does worry me.

Is there another train route you can take which gets to Chester in time?

Completely agree, so typical of the crap way that the rail industry treats its customers. They have no incentive to improve sadly. Sorry I can’t offer any practical advice but you have my moral support.

Have a word with the driver. I’ve been in same situation before and, in reality, they have been happy to carry them

I have just stuck my bike in the bus and been carried on several occasions without problems, it is stressful not knowing before you arrive though.

To get to Conwy you could…. Take the train to Porthmadog from Shrewsbury, then ride or take the Ffestiniog to Bleanau Ff then catch a train from there. Not sure how the times work mind but it would be an adventure….

Shrewsbury – Crewe, Crewe – Chester? Fast(ish) and frequent(ish).

Round here (Settle-Carlisle) they’ve started occasionally replacing scheduled services with vintage steam services for the tourists, making all tickets pre-booked and shunting the locals onto replacement bike free buses. With no warning on their website.

Now that’s annoying when the line is your only way home after a long ride! Had a proper rant at Northern Rail for that one.

What did customer services say?

We are just finishing up a 4 day cycle tour, Day 1 involved getting a train to the start.

We noticed our booked route was no longer on trainline and was now connecting via deep tube lines. Managed to find an alternative which involved a connection with Virgin. I think my riding buddy is still suffering flashbacks from booking the cycle spaces!

Saturday morning, we find our new route has also been diverted and is taking us back to the tube network with four luggage laden bikes. After some stressful route planning, we ended up with a cross London dash to catch the train.

That’ll be the last time I pre-book a train journey at the weekend with a bike!

Take a wheel out when you get on the bus. It’s now not a bike, it’s luggage.

Some bus drivers will happily take the bike. Particualrrly if it is coach style with storage underneath rather than bus style. As many are owner drivers the train co’s can’t easily negotiate with each what they consider to be safe or too dirty to carry. Given you probably aren’t paying anything for this large object it’s difficult to see why the train co would be too bothered. A bike box/bag will probably take you from some will to most will, and protect the bike in the “hold”.

Other options including hiring a car, leaving a day earlier and staying overnight etc. Those will put the value for money of your ticket in a different light.

+1 for removing a wheel or speaking to the driver

Yep, had to argue with a customer services rep one time as the bus driver wouldn’t take a bike; ended seeing a manager who paid for a taxi from somewhere near Reading to Bristol, which was quite a good result! But I think totally at their discretion, so not useful as a guide to what would happen any other time…

Brompton FTW!

Have a word with the driver. I’ve been in same situation before and, in reality, they have been happy to carry them

+1 I’ve ended up doing this mid journey before and not had a problem.

ALso, the station managers can book you a taxi at their discretion so be nice to them and you’ll be sorted one way or another.

As above,

Take both wheels out, it’s no long a bike – just bike parts.

If they ask no bikes just say “oh no this isn’t a bike” and carry on.

I’ve asked nicely and the driver put in the underneath storage too, though he did insist if anything happened to it was my responsibility (it was a cheap bike, i was fine with it).