Are Motorcycles still permitted on trains?

[MotocycleTrain]

Last time I did this was in roughly 1981, and at the time, I was BR staff. First time would have been June 1977 Watford to Bangor with a 50cc moped. I wasn't staff at the time and I'm pretty sure the moped went for free - as baggage?

I'm sure times have changed. This thread got bogged-down with cycles rather than motorcyles.

Can I take a motorcycle on a train?

Hi. Possibly an obscure question (and I didn't really know which forum to post in) but can I take my motorcycle on a train journey? I have an electric motorcycle (Super Soco TC1500) with a limited range of about 50 miles. My parents live 100 miles away and obviously I can't get to their house...

www.railforums.co.uk

Seems it doesn't happen anymore: When was the last time we saw motorcycles on trains?

 

[XAM2175]

The direct answer is no:

Train Travel with Luggage | National Rail

You’re welcome to bring up to 3 items of luggage on the train, at no extra cost. Here’s everything you need to know about luggage on trains.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Articles, Luggage and Animals Not Permitted on National Rail​

• Motorcycles, mopeds, motor scooters and motorised cycles

 

[AY1975]

Unfortunately I think the demise of large guard's compartments (which the powers-that-be would probably deem to be a waste of space on today's railway) led to the end of being able to take things like motorcycles and tandems on trains. As I recall you could still take a tandem on the Caledonian Sleeper until about 20 years ago. Not sure if you could still take a motorcycle or moped on it as recently as that, though.

 

[MotocycleTrain]

Ah, didn't realise they no longer existed. Lack of large guard's vans.. that'd kill it if numerous other reasons didn't. Looking into this, seems space for cycles is not a given.Fat chance a motorcycle!
I speak of an era when Motorcycles, no problem., you'd see passenger cars loaded on flat-bed trucks on the end platform at Euston, bound for Scotland. Motorail. Another world...

 

[miklcct]

I speak of an era when Motorcycles, no problem., you'd see passenger cars loaded on flat-bed trucks on the end platform at Euston, bound for Scotland. Motorail. Another world...

Why does Motorail no longer exist? How do Southerners nowadays do a car vacation in rural Scotland?

 

[XAM2175]

Unfortunately I think the demise of large guard's compartments (which the powers-that-be would probably deem to be a waste of space on today's railway) ...

Because they are wastes of space in almost every case, today.

Oh, and I think the whole contains a potentially-large quantity of flammable liquid thing didn't help the cause of the carriage of motorcycles either.

 

[Falcon1200]

How do Southerners nowadays do a car vacation in rural Scotland?

M1/M40, M6, M74.

 

[gingerheid]

Why does Motorail no longer exist?

EasyJet

Why does Motorail no longer exist? How do Southerners nowadays do a car vacation in rural Scotland?

Either by car, or by Easyjet & Europcar, Avis, Enterprise ...

 

[NewClee153]

I didn’t know motorcycles were ever permitted on trains

 

[6Gman]

I didn’t know motorcycles were ever permitted on trains

Took my Honda 70 on many occasions.

Crewe - Cardiff during my university time; Crewe - Derby to do some industrial railway sites in the area; Crewe - Stafford (but returning from Birmingham) again for industrial railway sites followed by a meeting.

I have a feeling they were banned on safety grounds even before the demise of the guards' vans.