Three bikes Edinburgh > Glasgow

[Harpers Tate]

Scotrail have a small groups offer - 3 for 2 advertised (although at present, it's not showing up on NR or Scotrail's booking engines - but can we leave that aside for the moment....)

Three of us need to travel Edinburgh > Glasgow Queen Street, with bikes.
The exact train isn't important - we have a 1.5 -hour window. It's a weekday morning leaving between about 0945 and 1115. We'll be buying off-peak singles.

Although we don't need, for ourselves, to travel together, I presume that if we buy the small group fare, we'd need all to travel together for tickets to be valid.

So the question is: what probabilty we will all get on a service at around this time, together, with three bikes.

 

[reb0118]

Some services run with 170's that only have one area for bikes - so officially only two spaces on that. Others have two areas so four bikes. Some trains run in multiple so potentially up to eight spaces if there's six carriages.

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[reb0118]

To add. If your bikes are thin it may be possible (unofficially) to fit them on one rack top to tailed.

To maximise your chances be on the correct platform prior to the train arriving at GLQ.

Re. Ticketing - check out the price of a "Group Save Three" return.

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[Altnabreac]

Another option is to get the 09.56 or 10.56 via Shotts to Glasgow Central. These will usually be operated by a 156 so have a large bike area that can acommodate all 3 bikes.

 

[Harpers Tate]

Thanks for the advice; I guess talking nicely to the Guard/Conductor/Whatever they are called nowadays will be what's required.

Second question then: is it right that the ticket (which I have now booked and collected) is called GroupSave3 but states Adults=One Children=0 on it? Price was (correctly) about twice the Off-Peak adult rate.

 

[Haywain]

I'm not sure what the tickets are meant to look like, but they are bizarrely set up for the minimum number of passengers to be 1, so it is likely that you should have another two tickets with a zero fare on them. I think it would be wise to consult with a ticket office before you travel to make sure you have what you need.

 

[yorkie]

The trains to Helensburgh via Airdrie and Glasgow Queen Street are (or were) often 6 cars and are typically quieter than the trains via Falkirk.

The via Shotts train will take you to Glasgow Central.

Thanks for the advice; I guess talking nicely to the Guard/Conductor/Whatever they are called nowadays will be what's required.

The via Airdrie trains have a Ticket Examiner; the others all have Guards, I believe.

Second question then: is it right that the ticket (which I have now booked and collected) is called GroupSave3 but states Adults=One Children=0 on it? Price was (correctly) about twice the Off-Peak adult rate.

It is correct, though it is poor practice in my opinion.

There are two different sorts of GroupSave; EMT and Scotrail use the botched version.

(Without going too far off-topic, EMT have been known to issue - but later be forced to withdraw - Penalty Fares to passengers with the 'wrong sort of GroupSave' but let's not discuss that here )

 

[yorkie]

I'm not sure what the tickets are meant to look like, but they are bizarrely set up for the minimum number of passengers to be 1, so it is likely that you should have another two tickets with a zero fare on them. I think it would be wise to consult with a ticket office before you travel to make sure you have what you need.

You would think so, but last time i checked, this is the way Scotrail and EMT do it.

I completely agree that it's bizarre.

 

[me123]

The trains to Helensburgh via Airdrie and Glasgow Queen Street are (or were) often 6 cars and are typically quieter than the trains via Falkirk.

6 cars most of the day now, and off peak they are usually very quiet.

Plenty of bikes on these trains but no official bike space (aside perhaps the wheelchair spaces in the middle carriage of each three car set - you'd probably be expected to clear the area for a disabled passenger). The TEs are usually reasonably tolerant of the bikes being stored at the door spaces provided you don't just abandon them there, and are prepared to move them to allow people on and off (this only really applies at Bellgrove; about five minutes before you get to Glasgow Queen Street). At the times you're travelling, there probably won't be an issue - there's usually enough space for everyone to have at least eight seats to themselves.

As has been said, the 156s that operate the Shotts line have a vast amount of cycle space in the DMS(B) carriage (i.e. the one without the toilet). The xx:56 express trains are pretty competitive with the main line via Falkirk (they only take 1h15, so if Central is more convenient for you there's not much in it).

The mainline can be quite busy all day, so you may have problems if there's not enough space for all the bikes.

 

[Harpers Tate]

Thanks again, all. Good tip about the Helensburgh stopper (its Queen St we need to be at ideally). We'll try for a "fast" first and see how that goes, and use the stopper if that fails.

 

[reb0118]

Central to Queen Street will be arround 5 mins. tops on a bike.

Both are slap bang in the city centre.

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