Disapointed that we seem to be going from 4 bike spaces per 3-car 170 down to 2 bike spaces on a 2+5 HST.
Bear in mind that each powercar will be able to store 3 bikes each.
only for end to end journeys. not used at intermediate stations due to dwell time constraints.
Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose, as a lot of Cycle tracks lay at intermediate stations such as those on the Highland Mainline. Dunkeld springs to mind, the dwell times from trying to get a bike from the power car on such a low platform must be tough going.
I, too, was disapointed at the provision of just 2 spaces (plus those in the power car - is it just the car next to the guard, or in both power cars?). As it is in the summer months, there are often 3 bikes squeezed into a unit, and not all travelling end to end, and the Chieftan's spaces are often filled months in advance. But unless the end-to-end bikes are stored in the power cars by default, then there's not going to be much chance for the passenger arriving at the intermediate stations wanting to take their bike on board.
The good thing about the HSTs is that there is a power car at each end capable of carrying bikes. The Scotrail trains are fairly short, therefore passenger should only need to walk through a max of 2 or 3 coaches to get to the nearest power car.
Not just you, though. The Guard, or someone else with a train key, would have to make the same walk, open the door, let you and bike in (or out), wait for you to secure/release the bike, wait for you to exit, secure the door behind you, and walk back to resume their dispatch duties. If it was at an unstaffed station, then that would involve walking the entire length of the train, where we hope they don't encounter another pasenger wanting to load/unload their bike into the other power car (through its locked door).