Yes you can. You pay. Then no, you can't.

[whole diary]

[SDS]

Cyclists should be completely and utterly banned, no exceptions.

I do not work for FGW^▸ (First Great Western)

Thank goodness for that!

If your gonna quote, quote the whole bit of my sig and not just convenient bits to attempt to mislead other readers.

Some preventable delays are caused by cyclists. Cyclists who think they are above everyone else and decide to break the rules. Lets take my giant bike on a peak service and then complain and have a tantrum when told to take it off. Lets dump my bike on the tgs of an hst when its fully reserved knowing full well you dont have a bike reservation and thus prevent another person who has correctly reserved a space.
Lets also try and take my bike into the vestibule of an hst when its not allowed and never has been, again having a tantrum when a member of staff asks you to take the bike off and causing more delays.

Did you actually know that reservations are mandatory on peak hst services and banned on peak turbos? Did you also know that the policy is to allow only 2 bikes on each turbo set (All turbos) and 6 on 180s and hst? But that rule is flouted by cyclists knowing full well that if they moan and have a tantrum the train will be potentially delayed and thus blackmail fgw.

The sooner a cyclist is prosecuted for a by-law offence the better. I'm thinking 12(2) would cover that.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Cyclists should be completely and utterly banned, no exceptions.

Signature:
I do not work for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and posts should not be assumed and do not imply they are statements, unless explicitly stated that they are, from any TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) including First Great Western.

Administrator note:

In response to a member reporting this post to the admin team here, I'm taking the opportunity to quote SDS's signature in full.  From which I take it that the statement contained in the first quote above is not the official policy of any Train Operating Company including First Great Western.

Chris from Nailsea.

[IndustryInsider]

Some preventable delays are caused by cyclists. Cyclists who think they are above everyone else and decide to break the rules. Lets take my giant bike on a peak service and then complain and have a tantrum when told to take it off. Lets dump my bike on the tgs of an hst when its fully reserved knowing full well you dont have a bike reservation and thus prevent another person who has correctly reserved a space.
Lets also try and take my bike into the vestibule of an hst when its not allowed and never has been, again having a tantrum when a member of staff asks you to take the bike off and causing more delays.

Did you actually know that reservations are mandatory on peak hst services and banned on peak turbos? Did you also know that the policy is to allow only 2 bikes on each turbo set (All turbos) and 6 on 180s and hst? But that rule is flouted by cyclists knowing full well that if they moan and have a tantrum the train will be potentially delayed and thus blackmail fgw.

I have certainly seen cyclists cause delays and have tantrums, but I've also met some absolutely delightful cyclists.  Let's face it, they are just passengers like everyone else and so come in good and bad varieties.  Your argument about cycle reservations could just as easily be applied to passengers with seat reservations as well - though perhaps we should ban those as well the amount of hassle they cause?!  As a member of staff I have cause to take my bike on the train on occasions and always try to be the model passenger with a bike, and am lucky enough to usually use a route where there is very unlikely to be any lack of availability.

It is perhaps not always the passengers fault for flouting the rules when they can easily get away with it (or not even know they are breaking the rules) due to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s rather lax enforcement of their own rules.  It's rather difficult to enforce rules on Turbo services into Paddington for example which are driver only, and there's no way the driver can enforce it, so it's down to the platform staff who usually have more pressing things to deal with (or just want to avoid confrontation).

The policy itself is also a little bit open to interpretation, with the cycle leaflet listing that a maximum of two cycles can be carried by Turbo service, but I've seen posters up on stations explaining that it's two per vestibule, so in other words a maximum of 8 on a 2-car Turbo, rising to potentially up to 24 on a 6-car Turbo.  The ban on peak Turbos is only listed if you're travelling to London Paddington in the morning peak and from London Paddington in the evening peak, which means that on the busiest stretch of most Turbo services (Southall to Ealing Broadway) they are allowed on board according to the policy.

HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) (in exceptional circumstances) can also carry three bikes in each power car giving a total of 12 designated spaces per train, without any bikes being carried in the passenger saloons.  If circumstances dictate, I believe TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context)'s have the authority to allow bikes in vestibules on HSTs and 180s for short journeys and if the train is quiet.

[JayMac]

Lets also try and take my bike into the vestibule of an hst when its not allowed and never has been...

Not only do TMs^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) have ultimate authority as to where a bike can go, but FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s own "Cycling by Train" policy lists all the stations with short platforms where it might not be possible to stow a bicycle in the correct area. This applies to many services operated by HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) where the only option for a cyclist is to stow their bike in a vestibule. It is therefore quite incorrect to state that it is not allowed, and never has been, to take a bike into a HST vestibule.

https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/~/media/PDF/AboutUs/CyclingPolicy/Cycle-by-train-May-2013-for-Web.ashx

Stations with short platforms

Some stations have short platforms and it may not be possible to access the designated cycle storage are when the train is in the station.

If you intend to leave the train at any of these stations then please inform the Train Manager who will give you the opportunity to move your bike to another part of the train before arrival.

If you wish to board at any of these stations then you should load your bike into the coach vestibule and then locate the Train Manager who will give you the opportunity to move your bike to the designated area when suitable to do so.

I've seen this happen on HST services in Somerset and Cornwall on more than one occasion.

[TaplowGreen]

Some preventable delays are caused by cyclists. Cyclists who think they are above everyone else and decide to break the rules. Lets take my giant bike on a peak service and then complain and have a tantrum when told to take it off. Lets dump my bike on the tgs of an hst when its fully reserved knowing full well you dont have a bike reservation and thus prevent another person who has correctly reserved a space.
Lets also try and take my bike into the vestibule of an hst when its not allowed and never has been, again having a tantrum when a member of staff asks you to take the bike off and causing more delays.

Did you actually know that reservations are mandatory on peak hst services and banned on peak turbos? Did you also know that the policy is to allow only 2 bikes on each turbo set (All turbos) and 6 on 180s and hst? But that rule is flouted by cyclists knowing full well that if they moan and have a tantrum the train will be potentially delayed and thus blackmail fgw.

I have certainly seen cyclists cause delays and have tantrums, but I've also met some absolutely delightful cyclists.  Let's face it, they are just passengers like everyone else and so come in good and bad varieties.  Your argument about cycle reservations could just as easily be applied to passengers with seat reservations as well - though perhaps we should ban those as well the amount of hassle they cause?!  As a member of staff I have cause to take my bike on the train on occasions and always try to be the model passenger with a bike, and am lucky enough to usually use a route where there is very unlikely to be any lack of availability.

It is perhaps not always the passengers fault for flouting the rules when they can easily get away with it (or not even know they are breaking the rules) due to FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s rather lax enforcement of their own rules.  It's rather difficult to enforce rules on Turbo services into Paddington for example which are driver only, and there's no way the driver can enforce it, so it's down to the platform staff who usually have more pressing things to deal with (or just want to avoid confrontation).

The policy itself is also a little bit open to interpretation, with the cycle leaflet listing that a maximum of two cycles can be carried by Turbo service, but I've seen posters up on stations explaining that it's two per vestibule, so in other words a maximum of 8 on a 2-car Turbo, rising to potentially up to 24 on a 6-car Turbo.  The ban on peak Turbos is only listed if you're travelling to London Paddington in the morning peak and from London Paddington in the evening peak, which means that on the busiest stretch of most Turbo services (Southall to Ealing Broadway) they are allowed on board according to the policy.

HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) (in exceptional circumstances) can also carry three bikes in each power car giving a total of 12 designated spaces per train, without any bikes being carried in the passenger saloons.  If circumstances dictate, I believe TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context)'s have the authority to allow bikes in vestibules on HSTs and 180s for short journeys and if the train is quiet.

Then tell FGW staff to enforce the policy - especially on Turbos - or ban bikes completely in the peaks..........in almost 20 years of commuting I have NEVER seen anyone prevented from boarding with a bike, never mind told to remove one......and I speak as a cyclist but one whom (I hope) has enough consideration for other passengers not to flout the rules inconsiderately for my own benefit........sometimes it's part of the job to have difficult conversations - there are more than enough dispatch staff at Reading at least in the mornings to enforce it.

[IndustryInsider]

there are more than enough dispatch staff at Reading at least in the mornings to enforce it.

There probably are, but the problem with Turbos, in my experience, isn't really at Reading as the trains are usually pretty empty from there and passengers on stoppers aren't generally going beyond Slough.  The problem is at places like Hayes, West Drayton, Langley, Burnham and Taplow where you might, if you're lucky, have one member of platform staff or just someone in the ticket office, so virtually impossible to enforce.

[TaplowGreen]

there are more than enough dispatch staff at Reading at least in the mornings to enforce it.

There probably are, but the problem with Turbos, in my experience, isn't really at Reading as the trains are usually pretty empty from there and passengers on stoppers aren't generally going beyond Slough.  The problem is at places like Hayes, West Drayton, Langley, Burnham and Taplow where you might, if you're lucky, have one member of platform staff or just someone in the ticket office, so virtually impossible to enforce.

......so to all intents and purposes then, even setting this rule is totally meaningless, as it relies on customers regulating it themselves, which clearly isn't happening, and simply achieves the potential for friction between customers with the Company taking no responsibility for resolving it.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, as I thought I made pretty clear in my original post?

[ellendune]

I have just returned from a week in the Netherlands.  I observed massive well used cycle parking facilities at stations (there must have been 5000 bikes at Delft station).  However I saw very few bikes on trains and there was only the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) amount of facilities.  This evening I saw two bikes get on a train at Rotterdam. One appeared to have an argument with the train manager which delayed the train. He eventually was allowed on the train with his bike. 

This led me to question how much bike travel on trains is really necessary if there is so much more bike usage in the Netherlands and apparently no more bikes on trains.

[JayMac]

I witnessed the usual bun fight over cycle space on one of the evening peak departures from Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or possibly Ticket Machine, depending on context) to Severn Beach.

Guy gets on with a bike and asked an elderly chap if he wouldn't mind moving from the tip up seats. Guy with bike then alights at Lawrence Hill.

Rightly the elderly chaps moans loudly at him for taking his bike on the train for such a short journey. I was in complete agreement. Bristol TM to Lawrence Hill can be cycled mostly via a flat segregated route.

[John R]

This led me to question how much bike travel on trains is really necessary if there is so much more bike usage in the Netherlands and apparently no more bikes on trains.

Whilst in the Netherlands a few weeks ago I was told that a lot of people have two bikes. So probably one for each end of the journey.

[ellendune]

This led me to question how much bike travel on trains is really necessary if there is so much more bike usage in the Netherlands and apparently no more bikes on trains.

Whilst in the Netherlands a few weeks ago I was told that a lot of people have two bikes. So probably one for each end of the journey.

I suspected that might be the case. That would account for the large number of bikes parked at all times of day. Is provision of enough storage for this a way of reducing the problem of less cycle capacity on trains?

[IndustryInsider]

Quite a few people do have two bikes who use the train - witness how full the cycle racks at Paddington are overnight, of which a new large facility (well over 100 bikes) has just opened on Platforms 9 and 10.  A small but growing percentage use 'Boris bikes' as well - for example, a friend who commutes daily from Reading, jogs from Paddington to his office in the morning and cycles back using a 'Boris bike' in the evening.

So, provision of more storage (or more hire bike schemes) probably is the only way of controlling the increasing number of people who (quite sensibly) wish to get to and from work using a bike.

[SDS]

I do believe that the bikes on Platform 9/10 are for season ticket holders (month or longer) and have to have a special yellow tag on the bikes obtainable by Network Rail.

[4064ReadingAbbey]

Whilst in the Netherlands a few weeks ago I was told that a lot of people have two bikes. So probably one for each end of the journey.

When I was living and working in M^nchen a few years ago I knew several people who had two, or in a couple of cases more than two, old bikes which they kept at convenient S- and U-Bahn stations around the city.