Virgin trains and bikes

timbo58

an interesting shorty story in the new edition of c+:
ie Virgin trains laying on extra trains in the summer to the SW, but banning cycles in favour of surfboards.
Why so interesting?
Because according to the National conditions of carriage (which Virgin and all other operators should adhere to) http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/system/ga ... /NRCOC.pdf -go right to the end and lo and behold in Appendix 'B'
Items which are NOT permitted to be carried: canoes and surfboards!

so, hypocrisy? it rather seems so!

Rob Sallnow

Surfboards have been allowed in the past...in fact there was one in the place I usually put my bike in the guards van of the train from Taunton to Plymouth last weekend.

ricadus

Just as long as I can get my roller skis and poles on board next weekend.

timbo58

ah!
I work for a major rail company (not VT) and whilst we have always accepted (subject to space) surfboards etc, it doesnt mean they are strictly allowed.
Ie the conditions of carriage has been made clearer but AFAIAA surfboards/sailboards and canoes are NOT permitted and have never been permitted to travel, i.e. if the owner of one was to annoy the guard for example (s)he'd get a fairly nasty shock if said guard knew the rules!
Luckily the biggest problem I get is finding them propped up 'doing no harm' blocking emergency exits or doors! lol


I personally wont allow a surfboard etc to take a bike space if its need for a bike, as they take the lowest priority - although thats a very rare occurence!

I was just trying to point out that VT in their willingness to get surf dudes travelling (even at the expense of bikes) had conveniently forgotten the rules that they also are subject to.

NorwegianBlue

If all trains had a "guards van" or a similar area like they used to do not so many years ago then there wouldn't really be a need for this discussion.

According to the operator (Northern) the train I catch to and from work has two spaces for bikes on a first come first served basis. On the older trains they've simply removed some seating near the doors to provide space, however on the newer trains there is often no allocated space so you have to wedge your bike in somewhere near the doors.

The big issue is however that quite often people take up the allocated bike spaces with other bulky items (never seen a surfboard on the Wakefield-Knottingley line ) then the bikes end up blocking the aisles etc. and people end up complaining about bikes on trains. The guards never seem to do anything about the sort of ridiculous things people bring on the trains. Having said that I've never known one of them object to there being more than two bikes.

DavidBelcher

NorwegianBlue wrote:

The big issue is however that quite often people take up the allocated bike spaces with other bulky items.

This has happened to me a few times on Transpennine, usually involving wheeled suitcases slightly smaller than Westminster Abbey which people seemingly can't be bothered to put in the designated luggage areas.

David