Latest commitments from First Great Western

Sat 18 Oct 2008, 12:42

I realise that it is probably heretical for a committed cyclist such as me to say such a thing, and I fully expect to be pilloried as a result, but wouldn't the simplest solution be if all train companies refused to carry any bikes at all? They could just say "Cyclists are a nuisance. They delay the trains, don't bring in any extra revenue and their bikes take up valuable space that would be better utilised by passengers (from whom we could extract money)." They would win plaudits for honesty if they did this and there would at least then be a level playing field. As has been highlighted on this forum, the current system is so complicated and vulnerable to the whims of individual staff members as to be almost unworkable. I remember reading an FGW booklet last year called something like "Travelling by Train with your Bicycle". It was about eight pages long and almost completely incomprehensible, full of statements such as "If you wish to travel from Plymouth to Reading on the third Wednesday in the month between 06.00 and 09.00 and the wind is in the north-east then there is a one in three chance that the cycle compartment will be situated at the rear of the train (unless it's in reverse formation or the guard's in a bad mood)."

I put my bike on the train between Cholsey and Oxford every day for over 7 years in the late 80s/early 90s. The system was quite simple: bikes were not allowed on HSTs but they were permitted on all other trains on the route. Each train (either a DMU or a loco-hauled service) had a large guard's van capable of conveying a significant number of bikes (at peak times, there were regularly 12-15 on the route I used) and no-one ever got left behind to my knowledge. There was no charge for this service. Of course guard's vans have disappeared now because they occupied a lot of space and brought in very little revenue in return (mail bags were occasionally conveyed but often the van was empty except for the bikes).

Unless I can be sure that the service I will be catching is a Turbo, I have pretty much abandoned putting my bike on the train these days because the system seems to be constantly evolving over time (before setting off, one has to ask oneself questions such as: Are bikes allowed on HSTs or not? Are bikes allowed on trains at peak times or not? Does one have to have a reservation? Should one's bike be labelled?, etc.) and I find it very confusing and open to abuse by train staff.

I feel that the reintroduction of guard's vans is the only practical way to solve the problem. If the government is serious about encouraging cycling then they should subsidise the cost to the rail companies; if not, then I would support the levying of a small flat fee (£2 maximum) on all cyclists who wish to put their bikes on the train. The current system is clearly not working.