AWC missed connection with bike

[MichealS]

Hi all. I travel with Avanti into London and back 1-2 times a week with my bike on their pendilino trains, I’ve not had any issues buying the ticket or making the reservation for my bike but when I get to the terminal I’m often stuck waiting/looking for someone to open the bike door causing me to miss my connection (every 30 minute train). Does anyone know a way to speed this up? I’ve tried speaking to staff onboard but they say someone on the platform will open it for me which is not the case. I’ve seen some other cyclists and staff use some sort of hex key to open the door but I’m not sure if it’s allowed for me to get one
Thanks

 

[matthewluck]

Not sure about a way to speed it up. But under no circumstances would any passenger be allowed to open train doors with a T key or similar.

 

[Haywain]

staff use some sort of hex key to open the door but I’m not sure if it’s allowed for me to get one

Absolutely not, that sort of behaviour would be likely to get you arrested.

 

[MichealS]

Not sure about a way to speed it up. But under no circumstances would any passenger be allowed to open train doors with a T key or similar.

is there a way to get permission to use one if I have a season ticket? If not can I press the green lever if the trains at the terminal (my journey is from terminal to terminal)

 

[Haywain]

I’m often stuck waiting/looking for someone to open the bike door causing me to miss my connection (every 30 minute train)

What is the connection? If this a connection in accordance with a legitimate itinerary you will be able to claim Delay Repay; if it isn't you could complain to Avanti but I suspect that ultimately you'll just have to suck it up as an annoyance.

is there a way to get permission to use one if I have a season ticket?

Again, no.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Best plan is probably, as it is the terminus, to wait outside and wave at the staff.

 

[hkstudent]

Best plan is probably, as it is the terminus, to wait outside and wave at the staff.

Problem is: at Euston Station, the rear end is often unstaffed and as the platform is curved slightly, staff in the middle of the platform can't see the bike storage as well.

At a point of time, I even just push through my bike across the aisle to the next passenger door.

 

[MichealS]

hat is the connection? If this a connection in accordance with a legitimate itinerary you will be able to claim Delay Repay; if it isn't you could complain to Avanti but I suspect that ultimately you'll just have to suck it up as an annoyance

Yes, it’s a valid connection on an official itinerary, I’m not sure if the amount of delay repay claims I would have to make would flag up for fraud (?) though

Best plan is probably, as it is the terminus, to wait outside and wave at the staff.

Manchester doesn’t have many problems with lack of staff, but Euston often requires walking the length of the train and back to find staff

 

[Haywain]

Yes, it’s a valid connection on an official itinerary, I’m not sure if the amount of delay repay claims I would have to make would flag up for fraud (?) though

Simple fact is that if you don't claim and don't complain, nothing will change.

 

[142blue]

The guard should let you off the train using the crew / bike door

 

[parkender102]

I used to have similar problems on Departure / Arrival at London Euston when Virgin ran the Pendolinos. Because the Bike Storage area is at the back of the train on arrival at Euston the train staff usually make their way to the front of the train for arrival. Despite letting the train staff know I would require the rear door to be opened they sometimes forgot and I would be left stranded. So it was a case of popping the bike up on it's back wheel and walking the bike through the passenger part of the carriage to the normal doors for exit. On departures I would walk my bike to the front of the train (furthest from the concourse) and prop it up against a seat or stanchion adjacent to the Bike Storage loading door and the driver would normally open it when he arrived for departure.

My journey was a regular Monday Morning commute to London from North Wales and returning every Friday lunchtime. After a while I got fed up and started to leave my bike locked up at Euston over the weekend. This worked for me as I didn't really need my bike back at home over the weekend as I had a second bike at home. Never had it tampered with at Euston as I used a 'D' Lock through each wheel and Frame and a very robust Motorcycle type chain and padlock for good measure. At the time the cycle storage was on the Platforms and then moved up to near the British Transport Police office near the Right Hand Side Exit. Think the cycle storage has now moved again?

 

[scragend]

Not quite the same situation (different TOC, station and rolling stock) but last time I travelled into King's Cross on an LNER Azuma with my bike, the bike "wardrobe" was locked by staff after I boarded at Doncaster. On arrival at KGX there was no member of staff to be seen to unlock it for me. Fortunately it's a terminus so there wasn't any time pressure and I eventually managed to collar a passing LNER person with a T key to open it.

I've only taken my bike on Avanti once, getting off at Wigan, and I was paranoid about nobody opening the bike door for me, especially as I wasn't originally booked on that train (the train I'd been on was cancelled at Coventry and this was the one an hour later). When I boarded though the driver was there and the platform staff spoke to him, and he opened the door for me from the inside when I got off at Wigan.

 

[VC00]

Not quite the same situation (different TOC, station and rolling stock) but last time I travelled into King's Cross on an LNER Azuma with my bike, the bike "wardrobe" was locked by staff after I boarded at Doncaster. On arrival at KGX there was no member of staff to be seen to unlock it for me. Fortunately it's a terminus so there wasn't any time pressure and I eventually managed to collar a passing LNER person with a T key to open it.

I've only taken my bike on Avanti once, getting off at Wigan, and I was paranoid about nobody opening the bike door for me, especially as I wasn't originally booked on that train (the train I'd been on was cancelled at Coventry and this was the one an hour later). When I boarded though the driver was there and the platform staff spoke to him, and he opened the door for me from the inside when I got off at Wigan.

I use LNER with a bike and found the best way to get out is to use the largest size on your allen key (not sure the size) and it'll open the sides of the bike storage (but not the main door) as they don't require the pin hole in the key- asked staff if this was allowed and they saw no problem with it as it can't open any other of the locks on the train

 

[Bletchleyite]

I use LNER with a bike and found the best way to get out is to use the largest size on your allen key (not sure the size) and it'll open the sides of the bike storage (but not the main door) as they don't require the pin hole in the key- asked staff if this was allowed and they saw no problem with it as it can't open any other of the locks on the train

I have used my house key to open windows on a 166 before. Obviously no use on one with the pin used on genuinely secure stuff e.g. cab doors nor should one be fiddling with those as it's likely to end you up in serious bother.

 

[357]

Yes, it’s a valid connection on an official itinerary, I’m not sure if the amount of delay repay claims I would have to make would flag up for fraud (?) though

You want a T key but you're worried about delay repay fraud?

I'd claim the delay repay and make a complaint each and every time. Your complaints and explanation will be enough to throw out any fraud investigations. Quite simply because it isn't fraud - you've been delayed due to fault of the TOC

 

[MichealS]

Since making this post I've had less of a problem with the door but I still put in a two delay repay claims (awaiting response). I also met a young man getting off a Crewe who had one of these keys, said he bought it from some staff...

 

[Haywain]

I also met a young man getting off a Crewe who had one of these keys, said he bought it from some staff...

As mentioned upthread doing that would likely lead to a ddiscussion with the BTP. For the staff who may have sold the item, it would likely lead to dismissal as it would be considered gross misconduct.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As mentioned upthread doing that would likely lead to a ddiscussion with the BTP. For the staff who may have sold the item, it would likely lead to dismissal as it would be considered gross misconduct.

Really the situation with the Pendolino is rather dissatisfactory, though. It is a shame that in the refurbishment they didn't put say 2 or 3 replacement bike spaces in the saloon somewhere so they would only have to use those ones when a large number of bikes were booked. It would only require removal of one seating bay to do so, which on a unit with such high seating capacity would be negligible. Could even have a luggage rack above it as FNW used to fit, then it would provide more benefits than just bike spaces.

As for T keys they are hardly difficult to come by (or even make yourself) due to them being used on preserved lines, and indeed (without the central pin or circular profile cut) on some cheap domestic keyed door bolts, but using one for mucking with doors is as you say likely to result in BTP involvement. Though with the issues with 166 aircon and no guard being on hand to open the windows I did give serious thought to getting one myself for that purpose alone until I found that my house key fitted (to applause from around the coach and requests to open more). Really the railway could do with moving away from them to something else as they are so easy to get hold of. And, for that matter, to fixing the Class 166 aircon!

 

[Gloster]

In days gone by a lot of the bowler and brolly brigade of Southern Region commuters used to have the end of the spike on their umbrella filed down to the size of a carriage key. They were quite adept at flicking the umbrella up and prodding it into the hole: a quick flick of the wrist and they could get into an empty compartment. Sometimes they came out again even more quickly than they had gone in because there was a reason why the compartment had been locked out of use.

 

[VC00]

Has there been any talk of changing the locks, I recall some years ago kids got ahold of such keys and managed to access the guards panel and they changed the locks to something more secure. But from what I've seen many newly built trains (class 700/800 etc) still use a t-key on most components of the train

 

[TUC]

Standing on the platform with just enough the edge of your bicycle sitting inside one of the other doors to prevent it closing might focus minds upon assisting you before departure.

 

[skyhigh]

Standing on the platform with just enough the edge of your bicycle sitting inside one of the other doors to prevent it closing might focus minds upon assisting you before departure.

Seeing as the issue is getting off at the terminus I'm not sure how that would help?

 

[TUC]

Good point! I misread it. I thought it was about getting on.

 

[Starmill]

If you're delayed by a qualifying length of time you can raise a complaint with customer services stating that you have separately applied for delay repay and explaining the series of events whereby you tried to minimise the risk of a delay but ultimately you were caused delay anyway. Obviously include your tickets and bookings noting the fact that your cycle was specifically reserved on those trains. This should be sufficient to leave a full trail in case of any accusation of wrongdoing with the compensation policy.

 

[northeastspott]

Absolutely not, that sort of behaviour would be likely to get you arrested.

Right. And I'm the king of England. You are not going to get arrested for that

 

[VC00]

Right. And I'm the king of England. You are not going to get arrested for that

Witnessed a young lad open the door to a 390 with a t-key the other day. Only coming from MK but said he was fed up spending half his journey waiting for someone to open the door. Guard asked me if he knew how we got out, seemed quite concerned with it so told him platform staff did it. Imagine it would've resulted in the police being called if not, seemed quite annoyed at first

 

[AlterEgo]

Right. And I'm the king of England. You are not going to get arrested for that

You’d certainly have the police attend if they were nearby. Using a T-key to open staff only doors is a big no-no.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Witnessed a young lad open the door to a 390 with a t-key the other day. Only coming from MK but said he was fed up spending half his journey waiting for someone to open the door. Guard asked me if he knew how we got out, seemed quite concerned with it so told him platform staff did it. Imagine it would've resulted in the police being called if not, seemed quite annoyed at first

Could have been a bike thief to be fair, quite apart from the breach of Railway byelaws.

 

[VC00]

Could have been a bike thief to be fair, quite apart from the breach of Railway byelaws.

I did see him get on with the bike so I doubt he took it from the train, even if so the staff aren't likely to care

 

[357]

Of course the situation shouldn't have come into existence where passengers feel the need to get a T key due to the failure of the railway to carry bikes efficiently so constantly

Had the same issues when my old toc kept bikes in the DVT