Electric bikes on trains

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Slowroad
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Electric bikes on trains

Post by Slowroad »

A friend has disabilities which mean she uses an electric bike, and she's trying to take it for a trip away. For a start all the bike reservations for the days in June when she wants to go and return are taken, which surprise me, but also she's told that she can't take her bike on the train because of its battery. She's hoping to be able take it on as a mobility aid, but it's bigger than the space allowed for a wheelchair/scooter.
Does anybody else have experience of this and what was the outcome?
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gaz
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by gaz »

No direct experience.

National Rail Conditions of Carriage: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/do ... /NRCOC.pdf

Page 29 suggests that some train operators agree to carry mobility scooters (charges may apply). Powered wheelchairs are permitted (free), subject to folded size.The prohibited items list does not include either pedelecs or their batteries, although there is a "Dangerous Goods" catch-all. Why a battery would be dangerous in a pedelec but not in a wheelchair defies logic.
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mrjemm
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by mrjemm »

gaz wrote:Why a battery would be dangerous in a pedelec but not in a wheelchair defies logic.


Perhaps that wheelchairs are maybe covered by standards (assuming here), whilst all sorts of cheap'n nasty rubbish is being sold as leccy' bikes now, and it's too much to expect employees to differentiate and deal with the outraged folk trying to get their el cheapo ebay thing from Tajikstan (eBSO?) on the 17:30 Virgin from Euston.

Just saying.
nmnm
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by nmnm »

Gaz has the right answer. The Conds of Carriage suggest it's fine. Worth pursuing with some email correspondence to various offices - the accessibility office of GNER for example, and all the other most senior people you can track down. Good chance of clearing this up, esp with the "back story" mentioned. No reason for the ban and it has bad press written all over it.
Vorpal
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by Vorpal »

In theory, reasonable sized mobility aids should be allowed. To deny someone access on the grounds that their mobility aid isn't permitted is against the law (Equality Act). However, that doesn't mean some jobsworth can't make her life difficult.

A friend in a similar situation carries a letter from her GP which states that her cycle is a necessary mobility aid. She has occasionally found it useful in dealing with people who might otherwise prevent her from taking it on the train.
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hufty
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by hufty »

On the other hand, if it became an issue on the platform, couldn't you simply unclip the battery and put it in a bag (I assume here ebike batteries are easily removable). Then wouldn't you just have a bike, a reservation, and a bag?
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BeeKeeper
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by BeeKeeper »

Mobility scooter batteries are generally ( exclusively?) lead acid so do not carry the fire risk of lithium ion.

But they let laptops on!
mrjemm
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by mrjemm »

BeeKeeper wrote:Mobility scooter batteries are generally ( exclusively?) lead acid so do not carry the fire risk of lithium ion.

But they let laptops on!


I've shorted a lead-acid to rather dramatic results in the past. Admittedly rather bigger than an eBSO one, but still.

I'd argue that the FAA (UK equiv?) are happy with LiON, but then remember how much trouble the 787's had...
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pedalsheep
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by pedalsheep »

I took my bike on South West trains last weekend. The only other people travelling with bikes both had electric ones and the guard didn't give them a second glance. I'm sure if she didn't tell them that its electric no one would notice.
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ArMoRothair
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by ArMoRothair »

pedalsheep wrote:I took my bike on South West trains last weekend. The only other people travelling with bikes both had electric ones and the guard didn't give them a second glance. I'm sure if she didn't tell them that its electric no one would notice.


That's what I would do.
Mark1978
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Re: Electric bikes on trains

Post by Mark1978 »

There is also the issue of bikes equipped with electronic shifting.
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