Cycle ban on London rush-hour trains

[Chris Brady]

Cycle ban on rush-hour trains

http://www.thisislondon.com/traffic/articles/12668359?source=Evening Standard

By Chris Millar, Evening Standard
19 August 2004

Bicycles are to be banned from some of the busiest commuter trains, it
emerged today.

A leaked memo to senior staff at South West Trains has revealed the
company's plans to forbid passengers from taking bikes on weekday
services before 10am and between 4.30pm and 7.30pm from London to
Alton and Basingstoke in Hampshire.

From 11 September, Thameslink will also ban cycles on Londonbound
trains between 7am and 10am and on trains leaving London between 4pm
and 7pm.

A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
another."

But Dave Holladay, of the Cyclists' Touring Club, said: "The train is
very good at moving people between fixed points but the bicycle is the
missing link which gets people to their final destination."

 

[RG]

"Chris Brady" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Cycle ban on rush-hour trains
>
>
http://www.thisislondon.com/traffic/articles/12668359?source=Evening Standard
>
> By Chris Millar, Evening Standard
> 19 August 2004
>
> Bicycles are to be banned from some of the busiest commuter trains, it
> emerged today.
>
> A leaked memo to senior staff at South West Trains has revealed the
> company's plans to forbid passengers from taking bikes on weekday
> services before 10am and between 4.30pm and 7.30pm from London to
> Alton and Basingstoke in Hampshire.
>
> From 11 September, Thameslink will also ban cycles on Londonbound
> trains between 7am and 10am and on trains leaving London between 4pm
> and 7pm.
>
> A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
> about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
> strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
> another."
>
> But Dave Holladay, of the Cyclists' Touring Club, said: "The train is
> very good at moving people between fixed points but the bicycle is the
> missing link which gets people to their final destination."


Is this new ? - AFAIK the trains from Marylebone have had a similar
restriction for years - that's why people have 2 bikes, one they leave at
Marylebone and one they leave at their local station, using the train in
between. I would suggest from the number of bikes that are at Paddington a
similar situation exists there too.

Similar rush-hours rules also apply in the Centro/Birmingham area.

RG

 

[Adrian Boliston]

"Chris Brady" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
> about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
> strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
> another."

Has he never i assume heard of "Le Shuttle" then?

 

[elyob]

"Chris Brady" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Cycle ban on rush-hour trains
>
> http://www.thisislondon.com/traffic/articles/12668359?source=Evening Standard
>
> By Chris Millar, Evening Standard
> 19 August 2004
>
> Bicycles are to be banned from some of the busiest commuter trains, it
> emerged today.
>
> A leaked memo to senior staff at South West Trains has revealed the
> company's plans to forbid passengers from taking bikes on weekday
> services before 10am and between 4.30pm and 7.30pm from London to
> Alton and Basingstoke in Hampshire.
>
> From 11 September, Thameslink will also ban cycles on Londonbound
> trains between 7am and 10am and on trains leaving London between 4pm
> and 7pm.
>
> A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
> about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
> strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
> another."
>
> But Dave Holladay, of the Cyclists' Touring Club, said: "The train is
> very good at moving people between fixed points but the bicycle is the
> missing link which gets people to their final destination."

I know, it's completely ridiculous. How am I supposed to set off - away from
London - on a train to get to, say Plymouth, on a tour? Can't leave till
10am ... okay .. won't be there until 3pm. I'd much prefer to be there at
lunchtime. Who are you supposed to complain to?

 

[elyob]

"RG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Chris Brady" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Cycle ban on rush-hour trains
>>
>>
> http://www.thisislondon.com/traffic/articles/12668359?source=Evening Standard
>>
>> By Chris Millar, Evening Standard
>> 19 August 2004
>>
>> Bicycles are to be banned from some of the busiest commuter trains, it
>> emerged today.
>>
>> A leaked memo to senior staff at South West Trains has revealed the
>> company's plans to forbid passengers from taking bikes on weekday
>> services before 10am and between 4.30pm and 7.30pm from London to
>> Alton and Basingstoke in Hampshire.
>>
>> From 11 September, Thameslink will also ban cycles on Londonbound
>> trains between 7am and 10am and on trains leaving London between 4pm
>> and 7pm.
>>
>> A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
>> about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
>> strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
>> another."
>>
>> But Dave Holladay, of the Cyclists' Touring Club, said: "The train is
>> very good at moving people between fixed points but the bicycle is the
>> missing link which gets people to their final destination."
>
>
> Is this new ? - AFAIK the trains from Marylebone have had a similar
> restriction for years - that's why people have 2 bikes, one they leave at
> Marylebone and one they leave at their local station, using the train in
> between. I would suggest from the number of bikes that are at Paddington
> a
> similar situation exists there too.
>
> Similar rush-hours rules also apply in the Centro/Birmingham area.

The change is that you can't even head out of London in the morning (i.e. on
a non-busy train).

 

[Tumbleweed]

"Adrian Boliston" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Chris Brady" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
> > about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
> > strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
> > another."
>
> Has he never i assume heard of "Le Shuttle" then?
>

Or car ferries?

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

 

[Tony Raven]

Adrian Boliston wrote:
> "Chris Brady" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>>A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
>>about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
>>strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
>>another."
>
>
> Has he never i assume heard of "Le Shuttle" then?
>
>


I can remember train companies moving their rolling stock by road as it
was cheaper than the rail usage charges.

Tony

 

[davek]

Tumbleweed wrote:
>>Has he never i assume heard of "Le Shuttle" then?
>
> Or car ferries?

Or motorail. And what about those mothers that take their pushchairs on
buses?

d.

 

[Al C-F]

On 24 Aug 2004 09:00:54 -0700, [email protected] (Chris
Brady) wrote:

>A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
>about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
>strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
>another."

Evidence that Thameslink are depriving a village of its idiot.
--

Cheers,

Al

 

[Ambrose Nankivell]

Al C-F <[email protected]> writes:

> On 24 Aug 2004 09:00:54 -0700, [email protected] (Chris
> Brady) wrote:
>
> >A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
> >about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
> >strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
> >another."
>
> Evidence that Thameslink are depriving a village of its idiot.

I guess it's more like evidence that someone's ****** off with
cyclists. Any potential users of Thameslink who have journeys that use
bikes on it would be well advised to write to him describing their
preferred journey and why it's useful for them. All in a most tactful
fashion.

That'd be about all that could change his mind.

A

 

[David Hansen]

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 17:14:24 GMT someone who may be "elyob"
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>I know, it's completely ridiculous. How am I supposed to set off - away from
>London - on a train to get to, say Plymouth, on a tour? Can't leave till
>10am ... okay .. won't be there until 3pm. I'd much prefer to be there at
>lunchtime. Who are you supposed to complain to?

Contact details for South West Trains can be found via the web. This
has been discussed before here and in uk.railway, a search engine
should pull up precise contact details.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

 

[JohnB]

David Hansen wrote:
>
> On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 17:14:24 GMT someone who may be "elyob"
> <[email protected]> wrote this:-
>
> >I know, it's completely ridiculous. How am I supposed to set off - away from
> >London - on a train to get to, say Plymouth, on a tour? Can't leave till
> >10am ... okay .. won't be there until 3pm. I'd much prefer to be there at
> >lunchtime. Who are you supposed to complain to?
>
> Contact details for South West Trains can be found via the web. This
> has been discussed before here and in uk.railway, a search engine
> should pull up precise contact details.

SWT is the last company I'd use to get from London to Plymouth.

If you really cannot leave London until after 10am, FGW leaves
Paddington at 1033 for a Plymouth arrival at 1334 and they are a far
better company to take bikes on.

BUT there is no morning time restriction on taking bikes from Paddington
anyway so you _could_ leave at 0700 and arrive by 1047, or 0745 (arr
1120) with no change.

I'm not sure a complaint using this as an example would hold much water.

John B

 

[elyob]

"JohnB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> SWT is the last company I'd use to get from London to Plymouth.
>
> If you really cannot leave London until after 10am, FGW leaves
> Paddington at 1033 for a Plymouth arrival at 1334 and they are a far
> better company to take bikes on.

I'm in Surbiton, so have to use them one way or the other. I got it to
Woking last time, then changed there.

>
> BUT there is no morning time restriction on taking bikes from Paddington
> anyway so you _could_ leave at 0700 and arrive by 1047, or 0745 (arr
> 1120) with no change.
>
> I'm not sure a complaint using this as an example would hold much water.
>
> John B

 

[JohnB]

elyob wrote:
>
> "JohnB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > SWT is the last company I'd use to get from London to Plymouth.
> >
> > If you really cannot leave London until after 10am, FGW leaves
> > Paddington at 1033 for a Plymouth arrival at 1334 and they are a far
> > better company to take bikes on.
>
> I'm in Surbiton, so have to use them one way or the other. I got it to
> Woking last time, then changed there.

Ah. You have my utmost sympathies then.

John B

 

[vernon levy]

"davek" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tumbleweed wrote:
> >>Has he never i assume heard of "Le Shuttle" then?
> >
> > Or car ferries?
>
Design with the primary purpose of transporting other forms of transport.

> Or motorail. And what about those mothers that take their pushchairs on
> buses?

Normally fold to a much smaller bundle. Are bromptons and folding bikes
banned?

 

[vernon levy]

> I can remember train companies moving their rolling stock by road as it
> was cheaper than the rail usage charges.

Still happens.

 

[Tony Raven]

vernon levy wrote:
>
> Normally fold to a much smaller bundle. Are bromptons and folding bikes
> banned?
>

No

Tony

 

[elyob]

"vernon levy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>

> Normally fold to a much smaller bundle. Are bromptons and folding bikes
> banned?
>

No, which is fine when going with the traffic. Most SWT's are empty on the
way out.

I guess it's because they think we get in the way on the platforms too.

 

[Gonzalez]

On 24 Aug 2004 09:00:54 -0700, [email protected] (Chris
Brady) wrote:

>A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
>about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
>strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
>another."

Does he find the Woolwich Ferry peculiar too?

All you need do is take the front wheel off and hey presto - it's no
longer a bicycle.

 

[DSK]

On 24 Aug 2004 09:00:54 -0700, [email protected] (Chris
Brady) wrote:

>A Thameslink spokesman said: "Cyclists tend to be fairly vociferous
>about their right to take bikes on trains. I have always found it
>strange that people would take one mode of transport and put it on
>another."

Does he find the Woolwich Ferry peculiar too?

All you need do is take the front wheel off and hey presto - it's no
longer a bicycle.

I wander if the bike in the following link would be exempt from the rule

http://www.trekbike.co.uk/bikes/2004/police/police.php

hehehe