thought i'd take the chance to bend the ear of one of the various members of the Directly Operated Railways (government owned operator of the east coast mainline) board that i'm working with about future policies around bicycles

there's planned investment in cycle facilities at stations but nowt about bike ON trains yet. They are involved in the governments 'cycle hub' scheme but again that's about station facilities and access.

They are already the only rail operator to offer on line bike booking but what else should they be doing and why?

What else can they do? They take bikes on all services, you can book them, sounds good to me.

Just get someone to run the franchise who's not going to screw it up.

I've always found the trains on the ECML to be pretty excellent when it comes to cycles as they are generally older style trains with guards vans – the new(ish) Mallard trains for example.

My last experience was going touring with my dad. Got to Durham station with 2 bikes, one covered in panniers, the other with trailer. Bikes were booked and the guard was waiting to help put the bikes on the train.

Got out at york expecting a run down the platform to retrieve but another member of station staff had already opened the door and was waiting.

How I consider railways should work! You might want to ask whether it is likely to stay this way.

Get them to sort out the tandem situation. Customer services says you can. Most of the guards say you can't. It has changed with different operators as well.

they allow you to book but if you think it's a nice experience you've clearly not done it much!

the on board cycle accommodation is terrible and extremely limited, the staff are generally too keen to get going to allow time to get on and off, your bike can get locked on the train without you on some trains as the cycle storage has to be unlocked by a member of staff (see above)

I've had positive experiences too but i'm keen to make suggestions to improve the service

Yep, ECML is currently far and away the best. They should be sharing capabilities and best-practice in integrated transport bicycle-oriented solutions with other operators. 🙂

Well there's what you want to be querying then, you painted a rosy picture in the first instance, suggesting they do it right already!

I've not used it no, I've only ever taken my bike on trains where you can stand with it, and I avoid that frankly, it's just too much faff. I'll drive and destroy the planet but avoid those hassles! The idea of watching my pride and joy pull away towards Edinburgh without me because some moron didn't unlock the door of the DVT is enough to stop me!

What id like (and this is just a general thing not just bikes) is a signboard with the layout of the train. Its quite difficult to work out what end of the train your supposed to be sitting, and when your with a bike the different trains sometimes have the bike spaces at the front or back, then you also have to walk about a mile back down the train (often through first class and buffet car) to your seat. Not great when they want you to get the bike off sharpish when you reach your stop.

The idea of watching my pride and joy pull away towards Edinburgh without me because some moron didn't unlock the door of the DVT is enough to stop me!

Just jump back on and pull the emergency brake, after they wouldnt want to give your bike a free ride when you only paid for a shorter journey :0)

First class is always at the London end, unless the train has become reversed, which is unusual.

ECML electric trains with a loco on one end and a driving van trailer (DVT) at the other will generally have bike storage in the DVT, beyond first class, at the London end.

FGW and ECML diesel trains will usually have bike storage in the TSG, which will be the very front coach on leaving london, the opposite end to first class.

Most of the others vary a bit more, and/or have it somewhere in the middle, not sure where it is on Virgin Pendolinos, not paid attention.

In France at TGV stations they always used to use little schematic models to show how long the train was, very neat.

thanks njee20, thats really cleared it up for me 😯

perhaps you could tell the staff that 😉

I try 🙂

It's not that hard really when you know that trains are always the same way round and the bike storage is unlikely to move!