Getting to Whitehaven

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Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Getting to Whitehaven

Post by Mark1978 »

I have the idea of doing a C2C (Whitehaven-Sunderland) in a couple of weekends time - mostly because my wife is on a Hen Party, and the grandparents are looking after the bairn so I have a free pass!

problem is getting me and my bike to Whitehaven, from Chester-le-Street (near Newcastle)

There's direct train from Newcastle to Whitehaven which takes 3 hours but will deliver me to close to the Premier Inn there to stay overnight before setting off early the next morning. But I'm concerned that the cycle spaces don't appear to be bookable and if there's two bikes there already that's my trip finished?

Are there any other ways to get to Whitehaven I haven't considered? Usually if I'm going on a ride from somewhere other than home I'll just drive there, but that would leave my car in Whitehaven which isn't ideal!
Richard Fairhurst
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Joined: 2 Mar 2008, 4:57pm
Location: Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

The guards on the Cumbrian Coast line are very used to C2C cyclists and will bend the maximum number of bike spaces a bit - well, ok, a lot. If possible, I'd suggest getting a train earlier just so you're not stranded if you miss out, and avoiding the rush hour if you can.
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Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by Mark1978 »

Richard Fairhurst wrote:The guards on the Cumbrian Coast line are very used to C2C cyclists and will bend the maximum number of bike spaces a bit - well, ok, a lot. If possible, I'd suggest getting a train earlier just so you're not stranded if you miss out, and avoiding the rush hour if you can.


Thanks. I was looking at the direct train from Newcastle at 16.22 on the Saturday. There are earlier ones but you have to change at Carlisle.
eezypeazy
Posts: 39
Joined: 16 Jul 2012, 6:22pm
Location: North East England

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by eezypeazy »

Most of the conductors on the Newcastle-Carlisle and Carlisle-Whitehaven/Barrow trains are used to carrying cyclists and very accommodating. Despite the 'official' line being that two bikes can be carried, I've seen five bikes at once this year on the Carlisle train, and a few years ago saw NINE bikes on the local train to Whitehaven (which was a single carriage train)!

If I were you' I'd try to avoid travelling on a 'rush hour' train from Newcastle, though.

Northern Rail have some off-peak on-line advance tickets that may be worth looking at - eg, Ncl - Carlisle leaving Newcastle at 1424 on Friday 1st August is £4.50; then 1631 Carlisle - Whitehaven is £10.20 on the day, total £14.70, compared with a 'through' ticket price of £18.90. That saves £4.20!

EDIT: Cheap fares only available Monday - Friday!
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by Mark1978 »

eezypeazy wrote:If I were you' I'd try to avoid travelling on a 'rush hour' train from Newcastle, though.


I was planning on travelling on a Saturday afternoon - so there wouldn't be a rush hour then unless it means something other than the usual?
Not too bothered about the cost really, compared with the cost of fuel it's cheap!
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NUKe
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Joined: 23 Apr 2007, 11:07pm
Location: Suffolk

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by NUKe »

You can't book on line, but you should be able to book at the station. You can still book the cheaper fares in the station
NUKe
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manybikes
Posts: 302
Joined: 9 Apr 2007, 10:21am

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by manybikes »

You could do what I did on 21st June. I used Virgin to get from London to LLandudno Junction and it was full as regards booking a bike. So I bagged it (front and rear wheels out and strapped either side of frame) and carried it on as luggage. No complaint from train manager or passengers - just fitted into luggage rack.
Just as well I did because at Chester we were all chucked off because of a signals fault and they laid a coach on to another train station. Again no problem with the coach driver. When on the Arriva train to complete the journey there was no space for bikes or anything else and I had to stand in the doorway. Other passengers lifted my bike over their heads to put it on a rack.
The moral - in a bag it is NOT a bike.
geocycle
Posts: 2177
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 9:46am

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by geocycle »

NUKe wrote:You can't book on line, but you should be able to book at the station. You can still book the cheaper fares in the station


Not with northern rail. They just have a turn up policy and some sensible staff. Main concern would be if a team of c2c ers turned up but I'd be relaxed about it.
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by Mark1978 »

I would imagine there wouldn't be too many heading to Whitehaven on a Saturday evening?
Bicycler
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Joined: 4 Dec 2013, 3:33pm

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by Bicycler »

I will whinge to anyone who will listen about Northern rail and their antiquated junk but I have to agree that the conductors are quite amenable to cyclists on the cumbrian coast line. In some ways their flexibility is preferable to a mandatory reservation system.
geocycle
Posts: 2177
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 9:46am

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by geocycle »

Bicycler wrote:I will whinge to anyone who will listen about Northern rail and their antiquated junk but I have to agree that the conductors are quite amenable to cyclists on the cumbrian coast line. In some ways their flexibility is preferable to a mandatory reservation system.


Agreed on both counts
patpalloon
Posts: 390
Joined: 16 Jan 2011, 12:06pm

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by patpalloon »

I did my c2c 2 years ago and got to Whitehaven with no problem. Changed trains at Carlisle. I reserved the bike space online but it wasn't an issue on the line to Whitehaven. I did my own route ending in Scarborough though which has good rail connections to the south. I went to Ambleside via Hardknott and Wrynose pass, then on to Hawes in the the Dales, then Swaledale, Richmond and skirted the North York moors to Scarborough.
I feel sure that the genius that did this, didn't even feel a thud as he drove by.
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by Mark1978 »

Sounds like a good route. I was thinking of Whinlatter pass to Keswick, somehow along to Penrith then follow the A689 to Nenthead down to Stanhope over the hill at Wolsignham stop at my house in Chester or Street then pick up the C2C into Sunderland. I'm riding a road bike with slicks so it's tarmac or well graded gravel only.
loafer
Posts: 545
Joined: 16 Jan 2007, 12:04pm
Location: newton aycliffe county durham

Re: Getting to Whitehaven

Post by loafer »

hi mark

here is our route from 10/6/12-13/6/12 3 old sticks 77-65-57 years young
garmin edge 800 great piece of kit .. :D

well we all got back on wed night a little bit weary.. total mileage was 220.40 no probs with bikes not even one p***ture and best of all 10 mins of light rain at nenthead..
sunday ride from carlisle down to whitehaven .we had to take the short route as when we arrived at newcastle st the train to carlise already had 9 bikes on so we had a 45 min wait for the next which ended up getting 8 bikes on (very helpfull staff) turned no one away
sunday.. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/188717232
monday. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/188717207
tuesday. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/188717152
w/day.... http://connect.garmin.com/activity/188717099
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