GWR bans surfboards from IET services

[whole diary]

[johnneyw]

There is also the definition of what constitutes a "surf board". Would I be sent away if I boarded the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) with my now, slightly ancient Boogie Board? Shorter but wider than a surf board, even cunningly disguised in it's carrying bag, would it be seen as hazard/obstruction?
Then there is other question of surf board size which range from about five feet to aircraft carrier. Is there one rule for all?
In the mid 80s it was not too difficult to take surfboards with us on a flight (although in the hold, not the cabin).

[Richard Fairhurst]

Yet another case of putting customers (who pay their wages) first last.

If the surfboard were a fare-paying passenger, that would be a fair point. Maybe if GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) were to sell tickets for surfboards, double basses, bicycles, outsize prams, and dogs it would have more interest in providing a service to such customers.

And if they had been selling such tickets it would have shown whether there was a business case to provide luggage space in the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) to provide the space to carry them.

Be careful what you wish for... there are plenty of GWR lines where farebox revenue doesn't cover costs. If business cases were the be-all and end-all then we'd have a Serpell Report-shaped network.

[jamestheredengine]

Yet another case of putting customers (who pay their wages) first last.

If the surfboard were a fare-paying passenger, that would be a fair point. Maybe if GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) were to sell tickets for surfboards, double basses, bicycles, outsize prams, and dogs it would have more interest in providing a service to such customers.

I am not sure whether this intended as irony given that GWR DO charge for surfboards and double basses [£5 IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly)]! I have no idea whether/how it is policed.

At two thirds of the cheapest Child Advance ticket from Paddington, that's a bit of a drop in the ocean (groan), even if they did succeed in charging it. (I had no idea that dog tickets etc were even a thing any more.)

[broadgage]

Going to be interesting to see how they plan to police that when people show up with their surfboards who were used to travelling with them on an HST^▸ (High Speed Train). An issue even Broadgage’s crystal ball failed to see this. There may be trouble ahead.

My crystal ball DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) foresee this, several years ago. An advocate of IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) replied that the reduced luggage space would not be a problem as HSTs were to be retained for services to Cornwall.
It   was later decided that a uniformly downgraded fleet would be simpler.
This is called progress.

[eXPassenger]

….
Let's hope the Famous Five don't have any surfing planned.

Like the picture of the Famous Five surfing which I received in an email from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) yesterday.

[LiskeardRich]

Surfboards are also  not permitted on First Buses

[grahame]

….
Let's hope the Famous Five don't have any surfing planned.

Like the picture of the Famous Five surfing which I received in an email from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) yesterday.

Part of a Senior Railcard promotion ... but the train shown in the background is 2 cars with end doors - so probably a class 143 on which surfboards would be allowed.

[Lee]

….
Let's hope the Famous Five don't have any surfing planned.

Especially after last time...

[LiskeardRich]

….
Let's hope the Famous Five don't have any surfing planned.

Like the picture of the Famous Five surfing which I received in an email from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) yesterday.

Part of a Senior Railcard promotion ... but the train shown in the background is 2 cars with end doors - so probably a class 143 on which surfboards would be allowed.

But not if it’s busy! The policy above states only permitted if the service isn’t busy. Now what constitutes busy?

[Umberleigh]

Perhaps the answer is to take a single car unit, perhaps a 153 might suit, and convert it into a luggage car to be attached to Paddington to Newquay trains for surfboard storage.

Or am I a bit north of the border with this idea?

[broadgage]

Perhaps the answer is to take a single car unit, perhaps a 153 might suit, and convert it into a luggage car to be attached to Paddington to Newquay trains for surfboard storage.

Or am I a bit north of the border with this idea?

For attachment to a proper train, the idea has considerable merit. A powered DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) vehicle could be attached to an existing and compatible (or modified to be compatible) type of DMU, AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) something similar is being done in Scotland for carrying cycles rather than surfboards.
Alternatively a unpowered trailer vehicle could be attached to a loco hauled set of coaches, also to carry surf boards, cycles or other bulky items.

Cant see it working with an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) though ! These units are fantastically complicated and almost certainly wont work in multiple with anything else.
And even if the considerable technical issues could be overcome, the contractual issues would be as bad. Also having to attach a decades old vehicle to a new and shiny train might be seen as an admission of failure in that it suggests that the new DMUs are not suitable for the routes that they work.

Simpler to just ban surf boards. Those with such can go by road.

[Celestial]

Perhaps the answer is to take a single car unit, perhaps a 153 might suit, and convert it into a luggage car to be attached to Paddington to Newquay trains for surfboard storage.

Or am I a bit north of the border with this idea?

For attachment to a proper train, the idea has considerable merit. A powered DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) vehicle could be attached to an existing and compatible (or modified to be compatible) type of DMU, AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) something similar is being done in Scotland for carrying cycles rather than surfboards.
Alternatively a unpowered trailer vehicle could be attached to a loco hauled set of coaches, also to carry surf boards, cycles or other bulky items.

Cant see it working with an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) though ! These units are fantastically complicated and almost certainly wont work in multiple with anything else.
And even if the considerable technical issues could be overcome, the contractual issues would be as bad. Also having to attach a decades old vehicle to a new and shiny train might be seen as an admission of failure in that it suggests that the new DMUs are not suitable for the routes that they work.

Simpler to just ban surf boards. Those with such can go by road.

You could always turn half of the 153 into a buffet broadgage. No need for seats - you could join the surfers thronged around the bar with their tinnies for the journey.

[Richard Fairhurst]

I wonder how many surfboards you could fit in an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) kitchen... 

[Sleepy]

Or they'll travel with Cross Country quite happily until arriving at Par & are refused travel on the branch line ?

[grahame]

From Cornwall Live

Fury over Great Western Railway's new surfboard policy

The new Great Western Railway (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) trains to speed up services in and out of Cornwall can not take surfboards.

Surfers wishing ride on one of the company's new Intercity Express Trains in the county famed for it's waves, will have to leave their boards behind.

While GWR previously allowed boards onto its trains, to be stored in the 'guard van', the new trains have been redesigned to accommodate more passengers, cutting storage space.

Surfers said that they felt that the issue was a "design flaw" which has been "overlooked".