• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Cycles...on trains!

Status
Not open for further replies.

tramboy

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
367
Evening all

I face a 30 minute walk ahead of me back from Collingwood's library to my house...so in that time, whilst I am devoid of internet, i was wondering if anyone could tell me about taking cycles on trains.

More specifically, GNER trains on Sunday.

Even more specifically...i'm heading home Saturday, returning Sunday (hopefully both on direct trains to/from Newark) and will be bringing my bike back with me (so the 30min walk becomes a 20min cycle!) Which is why i need the advice before i book!

Your 30mins starts at 2200!!!

Cheers

Dave
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Mojo

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
7 Aug 2005
Messages
20,382
Location
0035
Well, someone in my family phoned up GNER and booked a cycle space in the DVT, and this was on a Friday PM, so I shouldn't imagine any probs on a Sunday.
 

Craig

Established Member
Joined
15 Jun 2005
Messages
3,958
Location
Newcastle
http://www.gner.co.uk/GNER/YourJourney/cycles+on+gner.htm

Looks as though reservation is compulsory. Although I suppose you could just take your chances on the guard letting you on if there's space.

Edit:
"At Travel Centres and stations cycles can be reserved up to the point of departure of a train."

To me that implies that you could turn up at Newark on Sunday and reserve your space before you board your train.
 

tramboy

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
367
Cheers guys...I'll head for Durham travel centre tomorrow and see what they say!

Regards

Dave
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,439
Location
Yorkshire
Yeah you can. But if you dont book before the train leaves the origin station then they are not aware of your booking so they may forget. I once had to go to Peterborough (only wanted to go to Donny)!

So since then I thought there's no advantage to booking ahead really, so just asked if there's room, and every time so far there has been (only occasionally asked though).

Remember DVTs - London end. HSTs - country end. I've witnessed people being caught out!!!
 

tramboy

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
367
Well, according to the guy at Durham, you are in theory supposed to book ahead...but they will let you on with a bike if there is room anyway.

I've now got a cycle reservation, so lets hope that on Sunday both myself and the bike end up in the same place!

Cheers
Dave
 

eezypeazy

Member
Joined
4 Jul 2005
Messages
626
Location
UK
Hmm.... reservation seems to be sensible... in June this year, I wanted to go Newcastle-Alnmouth (reccy for my Aln Valley route), and went to NCL to reserve my space... BUT the cycle spaces had already gone for the second and third trains on a Saturday morning! As the first train would have got me there far too early, I decided to get up slightly earlier, caught the Northern service at 0605 to Chathill and cycled back to Alnmouth...

Anyway, last Saturday, I took my bike on the 0819 GNER HST Carlisle-NCL without a reservation and with no problem (despite the guard being sniffy about my Tyne Valley Ranger ticket... I checked the National Rail website, and GNER DO accept them, as Tyne Valley Rangers are valid to Morpeth)....

This coming Saturday, eezypeazy jnr and I plan to take our bikes Wylam-Bardon Mill, go looking for castles, and use the 1305 back from Bardon Mill... few trains stop there, so wish us luck!

eezypeazy
 

jd

Member
Joined
9 Jun 2005
Messages
675
Just one question Dave... why are you at a library at 2200? ;)
 

Craig

Established Member
Joined
15 Jun 2005
Messages
3,958
Location
Newcastle
eezypeazy said:
This coming Saturday, eezypeazy jnr and I plan to take our bikes Wylam-Bardon Mill, go looking for castles, and use the 1305 back from Bardon Mill... few trains stop there, so wish us luck!
If you have time to spare before your train there's a nice little pub in Bardon Mill, not far from the station. The one opposite the station at Wylam is good too :D

jd said:
Just one question Dave... why are you at a library at 2200? ;)
It's not uncommon for uni students. When I was at uni I quite often found myself working up until the last metro (about 11ish) and even staying all night on a couple of occasions...
 

eezypeazy

Member
Joined
4 Jul 2005
Messages
626
Location
UK
Craig said:
If you have time to spare before your train there's a nice little pub in Bardon Mill, not far from the station. The one opposite the station at Wylam is good too :D

eezypeazy jnr has opted for a pub lunch as opposed to a picnic, as she reckons it's less to carry on MY bike!! So The Pub in Bardon Mill it is, then....

Sadly, we'll be using a car to get to/from Wylam, so an extra jar at The Boathouse, however tempting, is out of the question...

eezypeazy
 

tramboy

Member
Joined
8 Jun 2005
Messages
367
Actually, it's not so much as for work, as more working...Collingwood College library has student librarians...of which i am one, and have drawn the short straw with Mon-Weds, Fri 8-10pm shifts! Still, we get paid, and there are books there that can help with essays and the like!

If i had more work to do, i would head for the main library and probably stay till late researching (main library shuts at 0000!) The bike cuts the 25min walk to college down to about 10min riding time...a lot better!

Cheers

Dave

(Yeah, I'm not a studious student yet!)
 

Craig

Established Member
Joined
15 Jun 2005
Messages
3,958
Location
Newcastle
eezypeazy said:
eezypeazy jnr has opted for a pub lunch as opposed to a picnic, as she reckons it's less to carry on MY bike!! So The Pub in Bardon Mill it is, then....
Obviously she's just thinking of you ;) Last time I was there (coming back from Vindolanda last year) I don't recall the pub serving food. However IIRC the owners had just taken over the pub so they may well serve food now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top