Great Western Railway Cycling by train. Cycling by train

Transcription

1 Great Western Railway Cycling by train Cycling by train

2 Welcome Welcome to the GWR guide to cycling by train. This booklet explains our policy regarding the parking of bikes at our stations and their carriage on our trains. It will also help you plan your journey so that it is as convenient and enjoyable for you as possible. Planning your journey Plan ahead to ensure you can take your bike on your preferred service Refer to the Cycle restrictions and types of train section in this leaflet, or speak to a member of staff Make a reservation if it is possible to do so. These are made on a firstcome first-served basis until all spaces are reserved. Please note that reservations are compulsory on our High Speed Services Check whether there is any rail improvement work taking place which will affect your journey. Conventional cycles cannot be carried on rail replacement bus services

3 From Monday 16 May 2016 we will be making changes to our bike policy on High Speed Services From this date you will always need to make a reservation for your bike, even for short journeys. This policy change will enable customers to reserve and guarantee a bike space on our High Speed Services. Reservations can be made at ticket offices or on our website, generally up to two hours before the train departs its origin. The policy for all other services will remain unchanged. The carriage of folding bikes is unaffected by this change in policy. Our Promise If you have reserved a space for your cycle and we don t honour that reservation, or find a suitable alternative for you and your cycle, just get in touch with our Customer Support team who will be happy to arrange compensation for you. Their contact details can be found on the back cover of this leaflet. Reserving your bike Reservations are available to holders of valid rail tickets and can be made : Online at GWR.com In person at your nearest staffed station By phoning our Customer Support Team on (0700 to 2200 daily) There is no charge for reserving a bike space and you are advised to do so as early as possible. Reservations can generally be made up to two hours before the departure of the train from its origin station, subject to space being available. If you reserve your bike space by phone, your tickets can be posted to you, if you have allowed sufficient posting time. You can also collect your reservations from your nearest staffed station. On our High Speed Trains you will not be permitted to load your bike without a reservation. On our other trains, spaces which have not been reserved will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. This also applies to trains where reservations are not possible. In the event of train cancellations or severe delays of one hour or longer, you will be entitled to travel on an alternative service if space is available. Please retain all reservation documents.

4 At the station If you are travelling with your bike please arrive at the station in good time. You may have to use ticket gates, a footbridge or a lift, and the station may be very busy. We recommend you are in the correct position on the platform at least five minutes before your train is due to depart. Cycle storage at stations Most of our stations have dedicated cycle storage facilities. Larger stations benefit from sheltered CCTV monitored areas. Please lock your bike securely. When leaving your bike at the station please ensure that you remove items such as lights, bike computer and panniers. We cannot be held responsible for the theft of your bike or the loss of any items taken from it. If you leave your panniers on your bike we reserve the right to search them. Some stations have bike lockers and we also reserve the right to search these if we feel it necessary. We undertake regular audits of our bike storage facilities and will identify and remove any bikes that appear to have been abandoned. Please turn off your lights when on station premises. An unidentified bright light could interfere with the safe running of our trains. Cycling is not permitted anywhere on the station. In the interests of safety please walk with your bike at all times. In accordance with the National Conditions of Carriage, our staff have the right to refuse a bike if it is unsafe to carry it, or if a reservation has not been made. Boarding the train Please advise station staff that you are travelling with a bike. Our staff will advise you of the best place to stand in order to ensure your bike is loaded correctly and safely onto your train. At unstaffed stations, signs on the platform indicate the usual position of the bike storage facility on board our High Speed trains. At unstaffed stations the Train Manager or Conductor will help direct you to the appropriate place when the train arrives.

5 Stations with short platforms Some stations have short platforms and it may not be possible to access the designated bike storage area when the train arrives at your station. If you are joining the train at any of these stations, please load your bike into the coach vestibule and then locate a member of on-board staff. The Train Manager or Conductor will then arrange to move your bike to the bike storage area. If you intend to leave the train at any of these stations please inform the Train Manager or Conductor, who will arrange with you to move your bike to another part of the train before reaching your destination. Ascottunder-Wychwood Ashchurch for Tewkesbury Stations with short platforms Hungerford Ivybridge Redruth Saltash Bedwyn Kemble Saundersfoot Bodmin Parkway Keynsham Slough Bradford-on-Avon Kidwelly St Austell Bridgwater Kingham St Erth Camborne Kintbury St Germans Castle Cary Ledbury St James Park Charlbury Liskeard Starcross Cholsey Llanelli Stonehouse Colwall Lostwithiel Stroud Combe Maidenhead Teignmouth Dawlish Maiden Newton Tenby Dawlish Warren Malvern Link Thatcham Devonport Manorbier Theale Evesham Menheniot Tilehurst Exeter St Thomas Moreton-in-Marsh Torre Ferryside Nailsea & Backwell Totnes Filton Abbey Wood Neath Trowbridge Finstock Pangbourne Truro Frome Par Twyford Goring & Streatley Pembrey & Burry Port Westbury Great Malvern Pembroke Weston Milton Hanborough Pembroke Dock Whitland Hayle Highbridge & Burnham Pershore Pewsey Worcester Foregate Street Worle Honeybourne Reading West Yatton Castle Cary

6 Cycle restrictions and types of train Due to the high level of demand on many of our services, it is necessary to apply some restrictions to ensure the safety and comfort of all customers. Peak time restrictions only apply on Mondays to Fridays and exclude Bank Holidays. High Speed Train Bike storage area On the train Bikes must only be stored in the designated areas. These are marked by an icon featuring a white bike inside a circle. (Not applicable to our Turbo fleet of trains) Cycle loading point Bikes left in doorways or causing an obstruction will be moved to the correct area of the train. You should secure your bike to prevent it from falling over, but you must not lock it to any part of the train. Inform the Train Manager or Conductor of your final destination so that they can ensure you are able to leave the train safely. Please be prepared and ready to leave the train with your bike when you reach your destination. High Speed Trains Capacity: 6 bikes Storage: In the marked bike storage area in Carriage A (see photo above left). Reservations: Compulsory on all trains Services run by our High Speed Trains can be identified by the symbol displayed in our timetables.

7 Class 180 Trains Capacity: 6 bikes, 3 at each end of the train Storage: Between the passenger saloon and driving cab Reservations: Compulsory on all trains. We are unable to carry conventional bikes at peak times Turbo Trains Local services in the Reading area Capacity: 2 bikes Storage: Inside the passenger saloon Reservations: It is not possible to reserve bikes on Turbo trains Travelling to London Paddington which arrives at London Paddington between Travelling from London Paddington which departs from London Paddington between Travelling from Wokingham to Reading which arrives at Reading between Travelling from Reading to Wokingham which departs from Reading between

8 Trains in the West of England Capacity: 2 bikes Storage: Inside the passenger saloon Look for the cycle storage icon on the side of the train Reservations: Possible on some services between Bristol Temple Meads and Penzance and between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour Electric trains operating between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington Capacity: 2 bikes per 4 carriage train. (At the time of going to print we expect to operate these trains with 8 carriages) Storage: Inside passenger saloon Reservations: It is not possible to reserve bikes on this type of train Travelling to London Paddington which arrives at London Paddington between Travelling from London Paddington which departs from London Paddington between Weekends and Bank Holidays Bikes are accepted on all trains at weekends and Bank Holidays, subject to reservation requirements and space availability.

9 Other types of bike Folding bikes, with a maximum 20 inch wheel, are permitted on any train on any day, even during peak times. Please store your bike in the luggage rack. Folding bikes with bigger wheels than specified above are treated as conventional bikes. Tandems can only be carried on High Speed Trains and must have a reservation. Other types of vehicle Due to a limited amount of space, and in the interests of safety, we are unable to carry any of the following : Motorcycles Mopeds Motorised cycles Motor Scooters Bike trailers Rail improvement work and Rail Replacement Buses From time to time, particularly at weekends, it may be necessary to carry out rail improvement works. If trains are replaced by buses, conventional bikes cannot be carried.

10 Brompton Dock A scheme is in place at several locations including Oxford, Reading, Didcot Parkway, Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads and Exeter St Davids. It allows members to hire a Brompton folding bike on a short or long-term basis. To take advantage of this scheme you must first register online at Bike repair Facilities are available at Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton and Oxford stations where you may leave your bike with qualified bike mechanics who will carry out repairs or maintenance. Feedback We hope you have found this guide useful and informative. Please contact our Customer Support Team if you have any comments about this or any of our other products or services.

11 Further information GWR Customer Support Great Western Railway FREEPOST RSKT-AHAZ-SLRH Plymouth PL4 6AB GWR.com (0700 to 2200 daily) Find us on Facebook Messenger Search for Great Western Railway Follow Download our app to purchase tickets and check train times. Search for GWR in your app store Earn Nectar points When you buy our train tickets online at GWR.com Don t miss out on our latest offers, special deals and news from GWR. Register your address now at GWR.com/enews Information correct at time of publication. Valid from May /02