Rode the PBW fromHelwith Bridge to Kirkby Stephen on cross bikes today – good day out.
Plan was to go on the train from KS to Settle and ride back to cars, but a jobsworth guard wouldn’t let us on (5 of us).
Fair enough, published info states 2 bikes only, but can’t help thinking that they’re missing an opportunity with it.
CX bike well suited to the riding – made the tame descents more fun and was quick elsewhere.

Where would be the sense in a service that catered for its users?

I’ve had that issue before (mardy guard at Horton). Seems to depend on the individual rather than the letter of the law. As you say, missing a trick.

That’s poor. I wonder if carrying a bin liner (or two), taking off the wheels and bagging bikes up so they are luggage not ‘bikes’.

Have had good (or should that be lucky?) experiences with trains to datebut that will probaby run out one day.

That said you should get a proper job like the rest of us so that the problem would never occur!

C

🙁 guard was clearly having a good day when he let us travel from Skipton to KS, there were already two bikes on the train but just said to keep out of the way. It’s a shame, Northern are missing a trick here. Using the line to ride PBW and other routesis really good!

That’s rubbish, sounds like you got a jobsworth guard. I work as a driver and this sort of thing is embarrassing. Guidelines definitely do allow the guards to use discretion, I’m not sure of the exact wording and we as drivers are not trained in any ‘retail’ stuff but most trains have at least (physical) room dotted about for five or six, depending on wheelchair space occupation etc. What really boils my wee is that every day dozens of little toerags crowd onto trains together with their ‘accessory’ bmxs, they’re slowly stuffing it up for the rest of us. Myself and my guard had twelve of these little darlings turn up at one station this time last year, we told them we would take six of them and for our efforts then got six mobile phones thrust at us with whining parents on the other end.

As a suggestion perhaps try writing in, if you feel the train was quiet (can’t see it being busy up there) and you should have been afforded the benefit of the discretion at least the guard in question might get his/her ear bent by their manager and be a bit more lenient in future. We can hope. Leeds and Skipton guards (who most often work the route) are renowned as jobsworths though so it might be a drop in the ocean.

ChrisE – passed your gaff, coming out of Helwith.
Shabby is what we all agreed on…….

many years ago on that line leeds to settle met one of the best guards ever, couldn’t do enough for folk, and could discuss the merits of international socialism, was a youngish bloke from leeds.

i would imagine he wold not fit with the privatised ethos and customer service bull that is all the rage at the mo.

boxelder – Member

ChrisE – passed your gaff, coming out of Helwith.
Shabby is what we all agreed on…….

Are they from Cleater?

That’s poor. I wonder if carrying a bin liner (or two), taking off the wheels and bagging bikes up so they are luggage not ‘bikes’.

A similar thing was tested on the Tyne & Wear Metro system (which is like the London Underground, for those that don’t know).

You’re not allowed bikes on there, but you are allowed luggage larger than a bike itself. So they made a replica, non functioning bike out of wood, which could only be described as luggage as it didn’t operate as a bike.

They let them on.

I offered to de-wheel the bike in 10 seconds for my mardy guard, but to no avail.

If I’m knackered in the middle of nowhere, my technique now is to take the wheels off, and jump onto the bottom carriage before the guard realises what’s afoot.

By the sounds of it there is definitely at least one who doesn’t like bikers! Most are fine and allow you to cram the bikes on. I spent one journey holding the bike vertical on its rear wheel in the doorwell.