Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

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Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

And even then there are non-island stations where each line is bidirectional, i.e. trains can (and do) arrive from either direction. Worcester Foregate Street is one.

mjr - good spot, I'd forgotten about the Turbostar prongs!
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Sweep
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by Sweep »

Vmlopes wrote:Hanging front wheel hooks on Network South East on the ones I have been on

I thought network south east was history or never really existed outside the railcard. They are all separate companies.

OP - on southeastern services there is a lean space with room for i think 2 bikes secured by a strap which from memory secures with a sort of seatbelt clamp fastener. You would want your carbon dream on the outside i suppose. There will be 1 or 2 of these compartments per train - they are marked on the door. Southeastern is quite liberal on bike carriage OUTSIDE PEAK hours and will let you stand in the central bits of each carriage sith your bike. Pipe lagging seems a bit extreme for a train trip (oh the wonders of carbon) but a couple of bungees might be handy.
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NUKe
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by NUKe »

Vorpal wrote:There are several different methods for holding bikes (or not) on trains. On Abellio Greater Anglia, most trains do not have any special place for bikes. You just need to find a wheelchair spot, or use the entry area for the carriage and stay with your bike. It is possible on some trains to stick the front wheel between a vertical hand rail and glass divider such that you don't have to hold it. But you may still need to move it out of the way for people entering and exiting the train.


except the older 125 trains on the Norwich to London line, which use the old mail storage area, just behind the drivers cab as bike storage. This is at the Norwich end of the train.
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by mjr »

I'm not sure I've ever seen a 125 on the Norwich line. It wouldn't make much sense to put a 125mph diesel on a 100mph electric line (although that wouldn't always stop them!)
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by iviehoff »

mjr wrote:Possible pic of a Southeastern bike space at https://www.flickr.com/photos/smsm1/10046338153 from someone who works with cycleipswich.

That's on a Javelin high speed train out of St Pancras. This is clearly an option for OP, but likely more expensive. The SE trains out of Charing Cross/Victoria will not have such generous provision.
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by Vorpal »

NUKe wrote:
Vorpal wrote:There are several different methods for holding bikes (or not) on trains. On Abellio Greater Anglia, most trains do not have any special place for bikes. You just need to find a wheelchair spot, or use the entry area for the carriage and stay with your bike. It is possible on some trains to stick the front wheel between a vertical hand rail and glass divider such that you don't have to hold it. But you may still need to move it out of the way for people entering and exiting the train.


except the older 125 trains on the Norwich to London line, which use the old mail storage area, just behind the drivers cab as bike storage. This is at the Norwich end of the train.

I've never seen one of those. When I first starting using the trains with my bike, intercity trains on East Anglia still had a guards carriage. In theory, you were supposed to book a bike in advance to use it, but I quickly found out that no one did. They just turned people away when it was full, whether you had booked a bike or not. I only went Witham - Stratford, or vice versa, so I had never had any problems.
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NUKe
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by NUKe »

mjr wrote:I'm not sure I've ever seen a 125 on the Norwich line. It wouldn't make much sense to put a 125mph diesel on a 100mph electric line (although that wouldn't always stop them!)

mark 3 DVT s but they look like the old intercity 125
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chris_suffolk
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by chris_suffolk »

Thanks for the replies.

To claify my journey, it will be

Ipswich to Stratford, then Stratford to Dover. I know I will need to switch stations at Stratford. Not sure if this means it will be an intercity type or a local train from Ipswich to Stratford.

Seems the Stratford to Dover leg will have a good cycle space, with reasonable fastening, but not so sure about the Ipswich to Stratford part.
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by Vorpal »

The best place on most trains from Ipswich will be the wheel chair seats. If you can, get on an intercity from Norwich, as the provision is likely to be better. Enjoy your trip!
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by NUKe »

chris_suffolk wrote:Thanks for the replies.

To claify my journey, it will be

Ipswich to Stratford, then Stratford to Dover. I know I will need to switch stations at Stratford. Not sure if this means it will be an intercity type or a local train from Ipswich to Stratford.

Seems the Stratford to Dover leg will have a good cycle space, with reasonable fastening, but not so sure about the Ipswich to Stratford part.

Chris don't worry about the Ipswich to Straford part of the journey. If you can, avoid the morning rush hour. All the trains Ipswich to Straford have space one way or another. If you have to be on a specific train they are very helpful with bikes in the booking office at Ipswich. I usually ride up there, a week or so before, just check your cheapest fares first onthe net , but I've never had a problem with them.

The other thing to watch for is weekends they keep closing large part of the line for track upgrades and maintenance , putting on replacement bus services which you will not be allowed on with a bicycle.
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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by ferdinand »

I'd recommend a couple of light bungies for general attaching, and perhaps some sort of stool in case you wish to sit close and seats are unavailable - you are not usually not allowed to lock bikes. Though your Journeys sound short.

Also you may be made to detach panniers etc. So be prepared.

How are you getting back from Cape Wrath?

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Re: Train carriage - how are bikes secured?

Post by chris_suffolk »

Hoping to travel back from Cape Wrath by train, but probably use Cycle courier company that the tour company use to transport the bike rather than bringing it by train
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