Bikes on SWT

[A Challenge]

This is probably answered elsewhere, but what are the restriction on bikes on trains with SWT, by route or class?

 

[jopsuk]

This is probably answered elsewhere, but what are the restriction on bikes on trains with SWT, by route or class?

Eveything you need to know is, funnily enough, on the South West Trains website, found easily using a popular search engine and the search term "Bikes on South West Trains"

Bicycle restrictions

Bicycles cannot join or leave trains bound for London Waterloo, Reading, Hook, Alton, Guildford and Dorking, due to arrive at London Waterloo between 07:15 and 10:00 inclusive and between 16:45 - 19:00.

Stations between Clapham Junction, Feltham/Strawberry Hill and the Hounslow loop unfortunately cannot allow bicycles to join or leave trains which are due to leave Clapham Junction between 07:45 and 09:00.

If you are travelling on our London Waterloo to Salisbury/Exeter/Bristol services you will need to reserve a space for your bicycle. You can reserve a bicycle space at any staffed station or through our Customer Service Centre. Please book at least 24 hours before you travel.

Bicycles may be carried at any time to and from most stations on the Guildford-Ascot line. Please see the bicycle restrictions map for more information.

 

[[.n]]

You can take the folding bikes Brompton type at any time on their trains

 

[Phil.]

You can take the folding bikes Brompton type at any time on their trains

...provided that it's folded.

 

[43096]

...provided that it's folded.

Even when they are folded they are all too often left in aisles and doorways. Personally I would just ban all bikes - at the very least on suburban services.

Unfortunately the rules as they currently exist are not enforced. Given the amount of space they take up, the fact they are almost always left blocking doorways (rather than being put in the correct area) and the habit they have of spreading muck on people when left in the wrong place, I'd be in favour of fining at the rate of twice the adult standard class peak fare.

 

[swt class 450]

I regularly see plenty of non folding bikes on trains (both SWT and other TOCs) during these peak restriction times. Most staff dont really seem bothered to enforce these rules.

 

[swt_passenger]

I regularly see plenty of non folding bikes on trains (both SWT and other TOCs) during these peak restriction times. Most staff dont really seem bothered to enforce these rules.

The priority is to run the timetable. Delaying a train while they removed all the bikes that should not be onboard is never going to happen. Guards aren't going to want to pre-empt the confrontations that will undoubtedly occur if enforcement was suddenly introduced after years of never bothering.

The lack of any peak restriction enforcement has been a regular web chat topic for quite a few years, and is perpetually being 'looked into'...

 

[A Challenge]

Is there a set place to board with a bike, sorry!

 

[AlterEgo]

No there isn't.

 

[TEW]

Depends on what train it is your catching, the bike spaces are in different places on different units.

444:Rear door of coach 3 and 4 heading towards London, front door of coach 2 and 3 heading away from London. (Unless in reverse formation.)
450:Middle of the train, in the same carriage as First Class, next to the small toilet.
455:First and last doors of the 4-car.
456ither first or last of the 2-car, depending which way round it is.
458:No designated space.

 

[bb21]

The priority is to run the timetable. Delaying a train while they removed all the bikes that should not be onboard is never going to happen. Guards aren't going to want to pre-empt the confrontations that will undoubtedly occur if enforcement was suddenly introduced after years of never bothering.

The lack of any peak restriction enforcement has been a regular web chat topic for quite a few years, and is perpetually being 'looked into'...

Only the other day on platform duty I had to physically refuse a bike because the train was already wedged in the high peak and letting it on would prevent 5-6 other customers boarding.

The amount of abuse I got in return was quite simply breathtaking, to the point I had to stop explaining the policy and simply walk away. No doubt the customer would have lodged a complaint that I was "rude" and ignored him.

I can quite understand why guards would not want to be in such a position. It would also be impossible for them to enforce it on certain types of rolling stock without delaying departure and holding up everything behind.

 

[Kite159]

If you are travelling on our London Waterloo to Salisbury/Exeter/Bristol services you will need to reserve a space for your bicycle. You can reserve a bicycle space at any staffed station or through our Customer Service Centre. Please book at least 24 hours before you travel.

Which is probably ignored by the majority of cyclists, even on busy trains.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was going to say - there is no reason for any advance requirement at all because there is no need to mark reservations if they are mandatory. It's 5 minutes (to prevent people causing danger by rushing to platforms I suspect) on VTWC. Crikey, XC will do them for you over Twitter.

 

[43096]

458:No designated space.

True, but the best place to be is the middle car of a 5-car set as that's the area with disabled spaces, which can be use for bikes IF there are no wheelchairs.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The priority is to run the timetable. Delaying a train while they removed all the bikes that should not be onboard is never going to happen. Guards aren't going to want to pre-empt the confrontations that will undoubtedly occur if enforcement was suddenly introduced after years of never bothering.

The lack of any peak restriction enforcement has been a regular web chat topic for quite a few years, and is perpetually being 'looked into'...

What they ought to do is to have a hit on this, perhaps with managers and RPIs, preventing cyclists boarding at certain stations (e.g. Waterloo in the evening peak). Do it enough times on a random basis and the bikementalists might actually start to learn if they are refused access until after the restrictions lift.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I would be broadly in support of a change to the Penalty Fares rules to allow a PF to be charged (at a fixed £20 rather than the double-fare) for a breach of cycle carriage restrictions.

 

[30907]

Eveything you need to know is, funnily enough, on the South West Trains website

Presumably the restriction on trains to "Hook" means "Basingstoke slows" in old money?

 

[TEW]

Well, cycles aren't banned from them as you could legitimately take a cycle from London Waterloo to Basingstoke on one of them in the Peak. Wouldn't make much sense because of the much slower journey of course. But once you're on board, little would stop you ending your journey short at Farnborough for example. And that's one of the main problems with enforcing the cycle policy. It's basically only Suburban routes and Alton trains where there is a complete ban at peak times.