Bikes on trains

[MaryinScotland]

Is anybody in the habit of taking an electric bike by train? Or has anyone had difficulty doing so?

For a long time, my "travel" bike has been an unpowered Brompton. But a recent holiday facing hills and wind on a Hebridean island has convinced me that I'm getting too old for that. (And for various reasons I don't plan to electrify the Brompton.)

I seem to remember that, some years ago, British Rail specifically said that they did not carry electric bikes. I've recently taken another look at their website, and I don't see any mention of that now. (But there are still exclusions about tandems, tricycles etc.) So is it now acceptable to take an e-bike on a train (given space)? I imagine you'd want to remove the battery, on the principle that the train companies want you to remove all luggage. And if you've got to hang the bike up by the back wheel, the less weight on it the better.

Any train journeys I make will probably be within Scotland, and the AtoB site says, "From February 2009, Scotrail became the first UK railway company to officially sanction the carriage of electric bicycles on its trains." I'll have to check if the new people who have taken over the franchise will honour that.

So if I can take my electric bike on trains, I could give up the Brompton and have my full-sized powered bike to use at the other end of the journey. (Okay, I can't take the big bike on a bus, which I can with the Brompton, but there's always a compromise.)

Any comments?

Mary

 

[flecc]

You may find the online rail guide from A to B magazine helpful Mary, it lists all the train companies in the UK, including the private lines, with their bike carrying terms and restrictions:

Here's the link

That Scotrail e-bike permission was given back in February 2009, so I'd guess many of the others will have caught up by now.
.

 

[Wicky]

I take my full size KTM locally on the train off-peak no problem - Rush hour or intercity would either need a fold-up or notifying them in advance.

 

[MaryinScotland]

Thanks, Flecc and Wicky. Good to know it can work.

 

[JamesW]

Hi Mary,

Until it broke 10 days ago, I was taking my full size 700c/29er hybrid bike on the train most days. (during rush hour). The cycle policy on trains depends mostly on the train operator, my local operator only restricts full sixed cycles between certain stations during peak hours and arriving at certain stations too, others like Virgin require a prebooked place on the train for you bike and have a limit on places. Some require you to pay for the bike. Without exception, if the train is replaced by a bus service, you will not be able to continue with your bike as rail replacement buses only carry folding bikes if they are in a bag and don't carry full sized bikes.

Hope this helps.

James

 

[JamesW]

Forgot to mention I live between Cambridge and London, so not exactly a quiet commuter line, but good for bikes!

 

[jonathan75]

Hi Mary,

I bring my ebike on the train several days a week. I would never remove the battery because it's part of the bike and it's already a considerable effort (and I am a big bloke) to drag the whole thing on and off the train without extra faff, and an effort already to move the bike to the other side of the 'foyer' because the train has stopped at a station with the platform on the other side. I assure you, as a law student with a strong interest in consumer contract, there is no classification of any part of the bike as luggage, except for luggage (the status of which on a bike is unclear anyway), and if there is no wording in the specific bike regs they give you, then you're allowed to do whatever they're silent on. I say leave your luggage on the bike if that's most convenient for you and others, and if you're asked to move it then you can. However even if luggage is somehow resricted, a battery isn't luggage; and additionally an ebike is just a bike, unless they say so.

They give themselves discretion however, by saying that there may be times when you can't take a bike basically when it's really crowded.

I would also never, ever ask them if you can take a specifically electric bike, because they are of course entitled to create a policy there and then, and they might just decide to do so. In the absence of a policy being spelled out in their written bike regs, it does not exist I.e. it is allowed

Lastly, I find useful a 'double-leg' bike stand, i.e. like an inverted V-shape one, which holds the bike upright in a way that it can be more easily put out of passengers' paths and I can go and sit down instead of supervising it standing up etc.

It's a great combination, train and ebike, have fun

 

[MaryinScotland]

Thanks, James. I had realised the bus limitation. That's one thing to be said for the Brompton; I remember one occasion being out for a country ride (west coast of Lewis) when the rain came on. I carried on to the first bus shelter, folded the bike and waited for the bus back to Stornoway. Some people riding past on full-sized bikes looked a bit envious

My recent Scotrail trip with the Brompton went Dumfries -> Glasgow, Glasgow -> Oban (and return). The trains had in theory space for 6 bikes, but that space also gets shared with prams, heavy luggage etc. The Oban leg of the trip was a bit crowded. I hung the Brompton up as indicated on the instructions, and told the train manager that if they needed to free up a bike space I'd fold it. But it wasn't necessary.

Given a 25kg e-bike (or a little less if the battery is removed) do you hang it up by the rear wheel as instructed? Is it easy to do, and do you think it might damage the wheel?

Mary

 

[MaryinScotland]

Thanks, Jonathan. I certainly wouldn't ask permission - it's too easy to get the answer "no." I just wanted to know if there was anything in the published regs that I haven't seen, or what people's experiences have been.

Mary

 

[JamesW]

Thanks, James. I had realised the bus limitation. That's one thing to be said for the Brompton; I remember one occasion being out for a country ride (west coast of Lewis) when the rain came on. I carried on to the first bus shelter, folded the bike and waited for the bus back to Stornoway. Some people riding past on full-sized bikes looked a bit envious

My recent Scotrail trip with the Brompton went Dumfries -> Glasgow, Glasgow -> Oban (and return). The trains had in theory space for 6 bikes, but that space also gets shared with prams, heavy luggage etc. The Oban leg of the trip was a bit crowded. I hung the Brompton up as indicated on the instructions, and told the train manager that if they needed to free up a bike space I'd fold it. But it wasn't necessary.

Given a 25kg e-bike (or a little less if the battery is removed) do you hang it up by the rear wheel as instructed? Is it easy to do, and do you think it might damage the wheel?

Mary

Never had to hang up my bike, it just sits in the doorway on the side of the train that is not pulling into platforms as so it out of everyone's way. Like Jonathan I didn't take the battery or panniers off, but if you need to hang up the bike .... That's your decision as to what is easiest/safest for you and everyone els and don't break you!

 

[RobF]

I've taken my Rose bike on three trains recently.

It's a 29er trekking bike and weighs a fair bit with a spare battery in the pannier.

On long distance trains it goes in the 'guard's van' - a luggage compartment near the engine.

Operators vary, but my policy is arrive in good time and identify yourself to one of the train staff.

The idea is not to delay the train, so you get yourself and the bike opposite where it needs to be loaded.

At destination, I make my way inside the train to the nearest exit to where the bike is being carried.

Thus you are on the platform and ready to unload the bike.

There can be a gap on the platform, but the train staff have always been helpful with loading and unloading - no complaints about weight.

I can't see the point of removing the battery, and have never been asked to.

As far as the train staff are concerned, it's just another (heavy) bike.

 

[MaryinScotland]

Hi James and Rob,

The Scotrail trains don't have the "guard's van" arrangement, just a cycle space which you walk through to get into the carriage. If it's not too crowded, it's possible to park bikes leaning against the supports. But there are hanging hooks, and if bikes are hung up, there is space beneath them where other luggage can go.

I have done suburban trips on trains with no cycle space, and you just have to keep the bike in the vestibule by the doors. I've had to stay by the bike and move it around, as the platform isn't always on the same side.

Rob, I've heard of the separate space which you describe, but haven't used one. It's better security, when bikes can only be accessed with the help of staff. When my bike is in a "public" space like the Scotrail type, I sit where I can see it, in case somebody walks off with it. (More likely, I admit, with a 10kg Brompton than a 25kg e-bike.)

Mary

 

[RobF]

Rob, I've heard of the separate space which you describe, but haven't used one. It's better security, when bikes can only be accessed with the help of staff. When my bike is in a "public" space like the Scotrail type, I sit where I can see it, in case somebody walks off with it. (More likely, I admit, with a 10kg Brompton than a 25kg e-bike.)

Mary

The space behind the engine can only be accessed by the staff.

Unlikely one of them is going to steal your bike, so the only other risk would be another cyclist taking your bike instead of his.

Again not very likely, but I bet your insurance wouldn't pay because the bike was left unlocked.

The spaces vary in my limited experience.

One on a York train was just that - a space - so all we could do was lean the bikes against each other in a heap.

A Virgin East Coast train to Berwick I used yesterday was much better.

There were three Sheffield stands, each with a strap to secure the bike.

 

[anotherkiwi]

If you are ever in France the TER regional trains have a special bike area in one of the compartments and the bike travels for free. On the TGV and intercities it will cost you 10€ and needs a reservation.

The Spanish Basque Country Topo has bike compartments and it is free.

 

[Kuorider]

I have a letter from Scotrail confirming that folders are always allowed on and are classed as luggage. Other bikes are carried depending on space available which is often booked. Call Scotrail and ask for a letter confirming this and carry it with you as some of the self important jobsworths will argue the toss until shown the letter from the boss. Phone no is 0845 6015929 located in Fort William . Letter states -Folding bikes can be carried on all services as hand luggage,no reservations required. There is no requirement for folding bikes to be placed in a bag.

 

[MaryinScotland]

Thanks, Kuorider, I'll make a note of that number. Any future travel is likely to be with a pedelec, not a folder, so I'll make sure to reserve space.

Anotherkiwi, that's quite exotic information! I hope it's useful to our European travellers, but I won't be going so far afield.

Mary