Cumbrian Coast Railways

[carlislemike]

Northern Rail run this service. I haven't been on this service for 40 years hence the question which follows. Is it possible to get from Wigton or Maryport easily to Carlisle as I see they have a 2 cycles per train policy and the train sets out from the tip of South Cumbria/ North Lancs to Carlisle possibly picking up a few cyclists from the southerm lakes en route. Don't want to be stuck in the middle of West Cumberland on a wet night.

[tucker]

I live in Wigton and find the 2 bike policy c**p, saying that, we have never been refused, try to travel at non peak times, I have seen 8 lads withbikes getting off at Wigton , also depends which side of the bed the conductor has got out of.

[RickH]

Northern tend to be one of the more relaxed companies with regards the bike spaces - I've shared the 2 bike spaces with half a dozen lads taking their BMXs on the line to Clitheroe before now. They haven't generally batted an eyelid even when I've turned up with my tandem. Recently I had the guard express doubt about whether I would get on out of Liverpool - that was more due to space as the previous train had been cancelled - but I fitted on OK.

Probably best to play safe & try not to be limited to the last train of the day. Trains are roughly hourly but watch out for the nearly 2 hour gap currently in the service leaving in the late afternoon. When we were up that way August last year (but not with bikes - we were heading for the start of the Wainwright C2C) it didn't seem to be packed out.

1637 Maryport / 1659 Wigton - 1721 Carlisle
1826 Maryport / 1847 Wigton - 1810 Carlisle

last train
2056 Maryport / 2117 Wigton - 2139 Carlisle

Rick.

[carlislemike]

Thanks for the reassurance. On checking, I last used the Barrow-Carlisle line in 1970! By that time we had lost the Silloth line and other local links. Now I'm retired I'm trying to reclaim my youth sans British Rail!