My idea for a 24/7 Thameslink Cycle Ban

[Mutant Lemming]

Just caught the ( 4 car ) 23:55 N/B ex-West Hampstead and this train was rammed yet some idiots were insisting on their "right" to try and board with a bike. Can Thameslink start to wake up and impose a complete ban on cycles - this is the busiest rail route in Britain and the trains and traffic just can't take cycles, prams, wheelchairs - it just ain't practical in the real world.

 

[ComUtoR]

I agree. Where can I sign the petition ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why not instead a petition that 4 car trains are insufficient and there is not any excuse for running them at that time?

 

[Searle]

Why not instead a petition that 4 car trains are insufficient and there is not any excuse for running them at that time?

This. The problem here is a 4 car train, not a cyclist trying to board a train like he's allowed to.

 

[TheNewNo2]

Given all 700s are at least 8-car, this shouldn't be an issue much longer.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

This. The problem here is a 4 car train, not a cyclist trying to board a train like he's allowed to.

Eight and maybe 12 car trains yes but the cyclists last night (and it was more than one at different locations) tried to ram their bikes on to crowded trains, What right have they to try and force their bikes on the train when many people were left behind? I took a photo of one when I can shrink it sufficiently I will upload it. Admittedly I was a bit annoyed last night hence the rant but those particular cyclists SHOULD be banned.

 

[yorkie]

Did no-one else have a large amount of luggage? For a route that serves several airports this seems hard to believe.

I'm not sure it's practicable to say passengers with large items cannot board trains that are short formed?

 

[Aictos]

Actually I don't think it is the busiest rail route in Britain per see as that honour goes to the WCML however I agree it is a busy commuter route but apart from the very small number, that's typical of the former NSE area.

Yes it be nice to have longer trains but taking into account the fact that trains need to be cleaned/maintained etc It's no surprise this is the case :cry:

The other reason to give as well is some routes are over served with the number of services available while others for reasons that fail me are under served!

 

[hawkeye]

The problem is that the world ran out of common sense about the same time the internet became popular. I took my bike on TL twice yesterday with no problems at all... I even used the allocated cycle area! So I shouldn't have been allowed to use the train to go cycling in Surrey on a sunny day when my wife had the car?

In any case, people should use some common sense with bikes on trains. If it's rammed, it's not happening. Why you think you can get a bike on a late night train out of London on the weekend is beyond me...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Who would enforce it anyway? I still see non-folding bikes being allowed through the barriers at Waterloo in the middle of the evening peak despite SWT having a rule saying that only folded bikes are permitted, which must be folded before boarding...

If that can't be enforced at a station with dozens of barrier and platform staff around plus guards on the trains, it can't be enforced anywhere can it?

 

[Searle]

The problem is that the world ran out of common sense about the same time the internet became popular. I took my bike on TL twice yesterday with no problems at all... I even used the allocated cycle area! So I shouldn't have been allowed to use the train to go cycling in Surrey on a sunny day when my wife had the car?

In any case, people should use some common sense with bikes on trains. If it's rammed, it's not happening. Why you think you can get a bike on a late night train out of London on the weekend is beyond me...

Maybe the world has never had any common sense, but we've only realised it now we have the internet

 

[455driver]

Who would enforce it anyway? I still see non-folding bikes being allowed through the barriers at Waterloo in the middle of the evening peak despite SWT having a rule saying that only folded bikes are permitted, which must be folded before boarding...

If that can't be enforced at a station with dozens of barrier and platform staff around plus guards on the trains, it can't be enforced anywhere can it?

The bike storage areas are on the platforms, how do they get the bikes to these areas if they are not allowed through the barriers?

Most will be leaving their bikes in these areas before getting on the train, there will always be some <deleted> who wants to get their non folding bike on the train though.

 

[Bishopstone]

Given all 700s are at least 8-car, this shouldn't be an issue much longer.

Which won't have armrests or tables on the seat backs, because station dwell time and on-train circulation are considered to be critical to the performance of the Thameslink core.

I assume full size cycles are also a potential impediment to core performance, and the hours during which they are banned will be reviewed accordingly.

Blackfriars to St Pancras is (more or less) covered by the new cycle superhighway, isn't it?

 

[SPADTrap]

If it won't fit it won't fit, if it does it does and it goes on, what else can there be to it? Unless said passenger got it on and you just found it annoying? If said passenger has to physically 'ram' it onto the train and into other passengers that sounds like assault?

 

[Class377/5]

Which won't have armrests or tables on the seat backs, because station dwell time and on-train circulation are considered to be critical to the performance of the Thameslink core.

I assume full size cycles are also a potential impediment to core performance, and the hours during which they are banned will be reviewed accordingly.

Blackfriars to St Pancras is (more or less) covered by the new cycle superhighway, isn't it?

Just caught the ( 4 car ) 23:55 N/B ex-West Hampstead and this train was rammed yet some idiots were insisting on their "right" to try and board with a bike. Can Thameslink start to wake up and impose a complete ban on cycles - this is the busiest rail route in Britain and the trains and traffic just can't take cycles, prams, wheelchairs - it just ain't practical in the real world.

The class 700 will have proper cycle places so an outright ban is going to happen.

As for screwing up the core, again is alarmist crap that gets spouted on here.

Of course any incident where someone is causing issues is not permitted as per the cycle policy, however report it or just post it on here?

 

[jopsuk]

Given the amount of trouble Londoners cause on trains isn't it time there was a 24hr ban on Londoners?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Given the amount of trouble Londoners cause on trains isn't it time there was a 24hr ban on Londoners?

They seem to cause rather a lot less trouble, even when inebriated, than people from certain towns in the North.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The bike storage areas are on the platforms, how do they get the bikes to these areas if they are not allowed through the barriers?

Most will be leaving their bikes in these areas before getting on the train, there will always be some <deleted> who wants to get their non folding bike on the train though.

I've never actually noticed the bike storage areas - where exactly are these? I'll have to have a look next time I'm heading home to Epsom.

Yes, some do still get them on the trains.... at least I haven't seen for some months now the one who regularly unfolded his folding bike as soon as he got on board in order to create some space for himself.

 

[Taunton]

Yes it be nice to have longer trains but taking into account the fact that trains need to be cleaned/maintained etc It's no surprise this is the case

Come on. We all know that operators, Thameslink especially, bung out minimum formations whenever possible off-peak, regardless of the revenue they are taking in the ticket office, just to minimise the mileage-based element of the leasing payments. Half the fleet or more will be sat in sidings. As for cleaned/maintained - my car goes in for servicing one day a year nowadays - why do Thameslink need 50% of the week to sweep out, bung through the washer on the move, and check the light bulbs?

I'm sure that when the new 8/12-car fleet comes along we'll never see the 12-car units from 1900 Friday to 0700 Monday, miraculously the 12s will need all weekend for cleaning and maintenance while the 8s will be able to run right through.

 

[Class377/5]

Come on. We all know that operators, Thameslink especially, bung out minimum formations whenever possible off-peak, regardless of the revenue they are taking in the ticket office, just to minimise the mileage-based element of the leasing payments. Half the fleet or more will be sat in sidings. As for cleaned/maintained - my car goes in for servicing one day a year nowadays - why do Thameslink need 50% of the week to sweep out, bung through the washer on the move, and check the light bulbs?

I'm sure that when the new 8/12-car fleet comes along we'll never see the 12-car units from 1900 Friday to 0700 Monday, miraculously the 12s will need all weekend for cleaning and maintenance while the 8s will be able to run right through.

Complete crap and baseless opinion I strongly disagree with.

We already see 12 cars runnig around from 0518 until 2235, with the future fleet requirements will see the 12 cars in service at weekends as there simply won't be enough 8 cars to use on all Thameslink services. As for 50%, think you'll find is nearer 25% step down for off peak services. And that's mainly achieved by services being extending to the depot, which on Thameslink currently is a single location for all 319s and 377s. Next month Thameslink gets its second depot meaning there will be more balancing of requirements and not one single small location to do it work (Hornsey becomes the other depot stages leaving Thameslink with two depots).

However I think you'll find that your car does far less miles than any Thameslink trains that's tend to be for around 18 hours a day the longest diagram for a Thameslink service being over 24hrs of constant use.

What you may not realise that for Thameslink, off doesn't actually last long. The Bedford to Brighton services is around 2.5hrs. Therefore complete round trip actually means don't have time between the peaks to destrengthen and the restrengthen services so you them run all day. This is one of the main reasons why Thameslink is getting fixed formation stock as there just isn't the time between the peaks to make the trains short.

As for the 700s at weekends, well the plan/contract is 12 cars at weekends. This is achieved with the requirements for less services like the peak period allowing maintenance to take place.

I believe your post is just a rant that's actually based in reality.

 

[Mojo]

Given the amount of trouble Londoners cause on trains isn't it time there was a 24hr ban on Londoners?

Maybe non-Londoners should be banned from travelling by train in London due to their impoliteness and tendency to cause delays by crowding the doors, dawdling and generally getting in the way

 

[AM9]

Maybe non-Londoners should be banned from travelling by train in London due to their impoliteness and tendency to cause delays by crowding the doors, dawdling and generally getting in the way

Or indeed any train elsewhere that Londoners might expect to use.

Given the direction of this conversation, maybe this thread should be merged into the 'I don't like it therefore.....' one.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Just ban all passengers. Imagine how low we could get the dwell times down to!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm sure that when the new 8/12-car fleet comes along we'll never see the 12-car units from 1900 Friday to 0700 Monday, miraculously the 12s will need all weekend for cleaning and maintenance while the 8s will be able to run right through.

I don't often use Thameslink, but on LM the issue is 4-car units getting out on their own at almost any time of day - they are rarely if ever sufficient. The great advantage of the fixed-formation 8 and 12 on Thameslink is that this can never happen any more, and of that Thameslink passengers should be thankful, as I'm sure it won't stop on LM any time soon.

 

[jopsuk]

Come on. We all know that operators, Thameslink especially, bung out minimum formations whenever possible off-peak, regardless of the revenue they are taking in the ticket office, just to minimise the mileage-based element of the leasing payments. Half the fleet or more will be sat in sidings. As for cleaned/maintained - my car goes in for servicing one day a year nowadays - why do Thameslink need 50% of the week to sweep out, bung through the washer on the move, and check the light bulbs?

I'm sure that when the new 8/12-car fleet comes along we'll never see the 12-car units from 1900 Friday to 0700 Monday, miraculously the 12s will need all weekend for cleaning and maintenance while the 8s will be able to run right through.

Are you serious? yes, reducing costs is part of the reason for shorter formations, but the comparison to your car is ridiculous. Trains can be doing hundreds of miles a day, carrying thousands of people. There are hundreds of components critical to safety on each unit, failure of which will at best mean the train is taken out of service.

What units are used on what services and when will be tightly specified in agreement with the DfT.

 

[Antman]

Complete crap.

What a fascinating thought provoking analysis of the situation

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Just caught the ( 4 car ) 23:55 N/B ex-West Hampstead and this train was rammed yet some idiots were insisting on their "right" to try and board with a bike. Can Thameslink start to wake up and impose a complete ban on cycles - this is the busiest rail route in Britain and the trains and traffic just can't take cycles, prams, wheelchairs - it just ain't practical in the real world.

What an intolerant society we have become when a relatively intelligent poster on here starts a thread effectively saying that anyone who inconveniences him should be banned from trains altogether!

 

[talltim]

Maybe the world has never had any common sense, but we've only realised it now we have the internet

More than a grain of truth. People moan about people's behaviour getting worse, I think that there have always been t**ts

 

[Pugwash]

Anyone else you want to ban ? fat people as they take up more space ? blind people as they insist on taking their dogs as well ? Wheel Chair Users.

The issue is with the TOC not providing enough capacity.

 

[ComUtoR]

The issue is with the TOC not providing enough capacity.

I would say its is much much more than that.