| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by IndustryInsider at 11:12, 14th December 2024 |      |
I didn’t use the system in Germany, but as a casual observer I think their system works something like this: The bike spaces are numbered, and the passenger has a reservation ticket with that number on it.
All bike spaces on IETs are numbered and have a reservation/available display.
The passenger needs the carriage letter on a reservation confirmation to know which carriage to head for.
The storage areas on each train that are the designated cycle spaces need to be more clearly marked as such to lessen that chances of prams and luggage being put in there.
TM's should have a quick and easy method of checking at which station(s) booked cycles will be boarding and alighting.
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by Red Squirrel at 09:53, 14th December 2024 | |
I didn’t use the system in Germany, but as a casual observer I think their system works something like this: The bike spaces are numbered, and the passenger has a reservation ticket with that number on it.
Seemed to work better than the seat reservation system, which often had a really useful sign at every seat showing words to the effect of ‘This seat might be reserved’.
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by ellendune at 16:51, 13th December 2024 | |
If they had bike reservations, why didn't the TM turf out the unreserved bikes that were taking up their spaces?
This will only work if there is some means of allocating and clearly marking reserved bike spaces, or issuing some kind of stick-on ticket to identify a reserved bike.
I genuinely thought that a sensible, logical, customer oriented system along these lines must have existed - I should of course have known better given it's the railway.
OK so what would that look like? How would it be operated?
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by TaplowGreen at 16:48, 13th December 2024 | |
If they had bike reservations, why didn't the TM turf out the unreserved bikes that were taking up their spaces?
This will only work if there is some means of allocating and clearly marking reserved bike spaces, or issuing some kind of stick-on ticket to identify a reserved bike.
I genuinely thought that a sensible, logical, customer oriented system along these lines must have existed - I should of course have known better given it's the railway.
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by grahame at 14:10, 13th December 2024 | |
If they had bike reservations, why didn't the TM turf out the unreserved bikes that were taking up their spaces?
I expect because he/she would have had to have some means of working out which ones were not reserved, and who had put them on, and risked abuse (or worse) from the owners of the ejected bikes.
This will only work if there is some means of allocating and clearly marking reserved bike spaces, or issuing some kind of stick-on ticket to identify a reserved bike.
Good points ... and I would note that with passengers joining at an intermediate station, the time to resolve the booking and reservation issue would be limited, even if the train manager happened to be in the vicinity of the cycle spaces.
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by eightonedee at 13:00, 13th December 2024 | |
If they had bike reservations, why didn't the TM turf out the unreserved bikes that were taking up their spaces?
I expect because he/she would have had to have some means of working out which ones were not reserved, and who had put them on, and risked abuse (or worse) from the owners of the ejected bikes.
This will only work if there is some means of allocating and clearly marking reserved bike spaces, or issuing some kind of stick-on ticket to identify a reserved bike.
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by TaplowGreen at 12:02, 13th December 2024 | |
Doesn't this mean that given the limited / inflexible space for bikes, it increases the chances that someone reserves a space and on the day finds it already occupied.
Mark
Mark
Anecdotal evidence of a couple from Reading last Summer wanting a cycling holiday in the South Hams. They booked Advance tickets to Totnes from Reading on a Sunday and Advance tickets for their return on the following Sunday. Reserving bike spaces in both directions. The outward journey presented no problems. However, they were unable to put their bikes on their chosen return because of unreserved bikes occupying all spaces. The following two services were cancelled and only after pleading with the TM on the next service were they allowed to board with their bikes. A total mess, given they also had Advance tickets for their originally chosen service!
If they had bike reservations, why didn't the TM turf out the unreserved bikes that were taking up their spaces?
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by PhilWakely at 11:43, 13th December 2024 | |
Doesn't this mean that given the limited / inflexible space for bikes, it increases the chances that someone reserves a space and on the day finds it already occupied.
Mark
Mark
Anecdotal evidence of a couple from Reading last Summer wanting a cycling holiday in the South Hams. They booked Advance tickets to Totnes from Reading on a Sunday and Advance tickets for their return on the following Sunday. Reserving bike spaces in both directions. The outward journey presented no problems. However, they were unable to put their bikes on their chosen return because of unreserved bikes occupying all spaces. The following two services were cancelled and only after pleading with the TM on the next service were they allowed to board with their bikes. A total mess, given they also had Advance tickets for their originally chosen service!
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by IndustryInsider at 11:34, 13th December 2024 | |
There seems to have been a recent change in station announcements at Paddington to reflect this change.
The ‘You can only bring a bicycle on board if you have booked beforehand’ is now something along the lines of ‘A cycle reservation is recommended otherwise we can’t guarantee space will be available’.
Better late than never!
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by CyclingSid at 10:13, 19th May 2023 | |
You want some fairly forthright comments on the infrastructure provided:
https://road.cc/content/news/why-taking-your-bike-train-such-faff-301335
“If someone is out there who is usefully litigious, you have an easy case to make if you take it to the appropriate authorities. Those vertical bike hangars are discriminatory, and they breach a variety of legislation. Sue them!”
Where is that person/organisation?| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by CyclingSid at 06:52, 26th April 2023 | |
The reservation system has always been fairly pointless when you didn't have to reserve for luggage in the same space. I find that most TMs have benn pragmatic about it because the realise the shortcomings in the idea.
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by grahame at 18:24, 25th April 2023 | |
What date will these changes apply from? I know it's 'May timetable' but what date in May?
21st May 2023 (Sunday)
Weekday changes from 22nd May
Saturday changes from 27th May
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by Bmblbzzz at 17:19, 25th April 2023 | |
What date will these changes apply from? I know it's 'May timetable' but what date in May?
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by Richard Fairhurst at 16:43, 25th April 2023 | |
I guess it depends if the reservation displays are working, and how many of the "bike and bulk" spaces are available for reservation. In practice, it does seem that GWR guards are increasingly happy to let bikes on without reservations and use any of the spaces - in this part of the world at least.
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by Marlburian at 16:19, 25th April 2023 | |
Or, worse still, two or more people arrive with bikes, only to find there's room for only one machine. Who takes the space, who rides?
(Reminds me when I took a train from Reading to Dorking to watch the Olympics cycling road race near Dorking in 2012. The train filled up at Reading and people were arriving with their bikes only to be turned away. The roads between the two places aren't direct, but I used to reckon it was about 37 miles by bike, so the disappointed riders - well, some of them - could have ridden there in a couple of hours and still caught the race.)
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by Mark A at 14:59, 25th April 2023 | |
Doesn't this mean that given the limited / inflexible space for bikes, it increases the chances that someone reserves a space and on the day finds it already occupied.
Mark
| Re: GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by IndustryInsider at 13:33, 25th April 2023 | |
A sensible change, especially with more IET’s now being increasingly used on regional services with more frequent stops.
| GWR bike reservation changes? Posted by Richard Fairhurst at 12:26, 25th April 2023 | |
Current paper/PDF timetable: "You must reserve a bike space on many of our services"
May paper/PDF timetable: "On our IETs bike reservations are strongly advised"
Emphasis mine. So it looks like GWR are relaxing the requirement for bikes to be booked in advance. I believe guards have confirmed this to passengers.)
