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Train from Bradford on Avon to Bristol

First apologies if this is in the wrong section but has anyone done this with road bikes and can give me any tips? How to book the bikes?

Planning to travel on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon when the weather is better.

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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14 comments

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ktache | 6 years ago
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A fine letter hawkinspeter.  I too live in the GWR area, and commute on a local service.

Last autumn, I was riding the Ridgeway, cycled bridleway along the Thames from Reading to Gorning and Streatly, where the Ridgeway sort of starts, and rode and rode, should have turned back earlier but, you know, kept going.  Worried that I didn't have enough battery power for the lights to get home and bumped into Swindon mountain bike club, who escourted me into Swindon and then by one very nice man who showed me to the station, of course the first train left whilst I was purchasing my ticket and so I spent the next hour worrying about getting on the next train because every announcement said I had to pre book.  I asked the station staff if I could book through them, they said I should use the ticket office, which had of course closed hours ago, tried using my dumb phone to book, tried to get the other half to book on the computer, no luck.  Station staff were confident, but you know, the "fear".  Train arrived, did the polite thing and the guard properly said get on and hurry because he wanted to get out of there.  Phew.   But I knew it was all down to the attitude of the guard.

 

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ktache | 6 years ago
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Always be nice to the guard, smile, wish them a good morning/afternoon/evening, ask "is it alright if...?".  Accept their decision with good grace and always be prepared to wait for the next train.

Local trains are always easier than the big, fast ones.  Being very polite may work.

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hawkinspeter replied to ktache | 6 years ago
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ktache wrote:

Always be nice to the guard, smile, wish them a good morning/afternoon/evening, ask "is it alright if...?".  Accept their decision with good grace and always be prepared to wait for the next train.

Local trains are always easier than the big, fast ones.  Being very polite may work.

It's always a good idea to be polite with train staff, however GWR seem to have something against bikes. The local trains are normally okay to get a bike on if there's not too many bikes already on there, but the HSTs are almost impossible to get onto now as they demand a booking ticket for the bike which can only be arranged by light of a full moon exactly 5 days before travelling.

If GWR staff are refusing to take a bike on a HST train when there is space, it might be useful to show them a copy of this letter about GWR's bike policies:

 

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oldmixte | 6 years ago
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Thanks for all the comments Guys, I 'll check carefully with the bookings, though this worries me:
“I personally found the towpath between Dundas and Bradford-on-Avon a bit too bumpy on my carbon road bike, but it'd be fine on pretty much anything else
The idea to go to Bradford was to avoid returning on the canal towpath from Dundas to Bath, as it is quite bumpy. If I used the old Mixte it would be more comfortable probably but it’s not been refurbished yet for a long ride.

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bobbydazzler replied to oldmixte | 6 years ago
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OldMixte wrote:

Thanks for all the comments Guys, I 'll check carefully with the bookings, though this worries me: “I personally found the towpath between Dundas and Bradford-on-Avon a bit too bumpy on my carbon road bike, but it'd be fine on pretty much anything else The idea to go to Bradford was to avoid returning on the canal towpath from Dundas to Bath, as it is quite bumpy. If I used the old Mixte it would be more comfortable probably but it’s not been refurbished yet for a long ride.

Hi,

I live in BoA and have used the train no problem.  As others have said, it's a local one, most of the time there's a carriage which has the pink bike symbol that has racks for two bikes [but I've often seen 4+ bikes being carried].  Worth double-checking on the GWR website for up-to-date guidance on carrying bikes.  I've never booked and never been turned away on local trains.

As for the bike path, I'd agree that it's a bit too bumpy for me from BoA to Freshford, when the re-surfaced part starts [that bit's OK!].  It also gets quite muddy and takes a while to dry out. 

Hope that helps.

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Tazman | 6 years ago
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GWR HSTs are now limited to six spaces in the guards van at the Standard class end of the train. There are no spaces 'available' in the power cars or at the First Class end.

Also you have to have a booking and attach that booking to the bike (in theory). In practice it is up to the Train Manager and they are usually fine if you have a booking for a service and they've got space.

For the trip you are planning, avoid the HSTs.

Regarding the ride, the Bristol to Bath railway path is just about perfect. It's a bit narrow alongside the heritage railway and you want to watch for pedestrians (especially any time near school entry/exit) as you leave Bristol and also as you climb up out of Bath towards the tunnels. I also must warn about the occasional tree root lump around the Saltford bridge as they can be a bit violent.

I personally found the towpath between Dundas and Bradford-on-Avon a bit too bumpy on my carbon road bike, but it'd be fine on pretty much anything else (CX/Hybrid etc). 

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Edgeley replied to Tazman | 6 years ago
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Tazman wrote:

GWR HSTs are now limited to six spaces in the guards van at the Standard class end of the train. There are no spaces 'available' in the power cars or at the First Class end.

Also you have to have a booking and attach that booking to the bike (in theory). In practice it is up to the Train Manager and they are usually fine if you have a booking for a service and they've got space.

For the trip you are planning, avoid the HSTs.

Regarding the ride, the Bristol to Bath railway path is just about perfect. It's a bit narrow alongside the heritage railway and you want to watch for pedestrians (especially any time near school entry/exit) as you leave Bristol and also as you climb up out of Bath towards the tunnels. I also must warn about the occasional tree root lump around the Saltford bridge as they can be a bit violent.

I personally found the towpath between Dundas and Bradford-on-Avon a bit too bumpy on my carbon road bike, but it'd be fine on pretty much anything else (CX/Hybrid etc). 

 

 

You say "in practice it is up to the train manager".  That was true until bastard FGW changed their policy a year ago.  Now they are very keen not to allow unbooked bikes onto trains.  Even to the extent that if the train you booked your bike onto is delayed or cancelled, they refuse access onto an alternative.  Hence the now normally empty bike spaces.

I used to take my bike to London regularly.  Now I can't.  I also used to do things like cycling from Oxford to Evesham and then hopping on a train back.   So FGW have lost some of my custom.

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gonedownhill | 6 years ago
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You can book bike reservations when buying tickets online through the GWR website for some services.

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Dnnnnnn replied to gonedownhill | 6 years ago
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gonedownhill wrote:

You can book bike reservations when buying tickets online through the GWR website for some services.

Good point. Some train operators' websites allow this and some don't (irritatingly). I tend to use East Coast's which lets you book bikes on other companies' trains, even when those companies own sites don't! The weird and unnecessarily complicated world of Britain's railways...

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oldmixte | 6 years ago
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Thanks for the help, the plan is from Bristol via the two tunnels then to BOA and back by train. We do the trip to the tunnels and back on the Bath towpath, but it’s a bit bumpy.

Cheers OM

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Dnnnnnn | 6 years ago
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As Rod says, local trains often don't require reservations (indeed sometimes can't take them!) but you can check this on the GWR journey planner (click the "i" symbol to see if reservations are possible). More cycle booking info here:

https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/on-board/cycles

Some of the trains on that route are Sou'Westers:

https://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/travelling-with-us/cycle-policy--schemes

There's a good chance you'd be fine to turn up'n'go - but if you know when you want to travel possibly safer to book.

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Rod Marton | 6 years ago
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If it's a local train you shouldn't need to. GWRs booking policy applies to high speed trains, and these don't stop at Bradford. If you do need to book a train on GWR the easiest way is at the station. The procedure is convoluted and largely designed to deter people from taking their bikes on trains (sorry about the rant).

Alternatively you can take the towpath to Bath and then the Bath to Bristol cycle route. It's a really nice ride.

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Edgeley replied to Rod Marton | 6 years ago
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Rod Marton wrote:

If it's a local train you shouldn't need to. GWRs booking policy applies to high speed trains, and these don't stop at Bradford. If you do need to book a train on GWR the easiest way is at the station. The procedure is convoluted and largely designed to deter people from taking their bikes on trains (sorry about the rant).

Alternatively you can take the towpath to Bath and then the Bath to Bristol cycle route. It's a really nice ride.

 

 

GWR have deliberately made it difficult to take your bike on the train.   So they now run HSTs with spaces for 6 bikes on them, which are nearly always empty.  Bastards.

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Al__S replied to Edgeley | 6 years ago
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Edgeley wrote:

GWR have deliberately made it difficult to take your bike on the train.   So they now run HSTs with spaces for 6 bikes on them, which are nearly always empty.  Bastards.

As far as I'm aware, GWR actually have 6 spaces in the guards van in the TGS vehicle, AND 3 spaces (less used) in each power car. That's 12.

Virgin Trains East Coast with the same trains only have, as far as I know, three or four spaces in the TGS. But I've never had a problem booking a space. They have 7 on their current electrics., and level, not hanging by a wheel.

 

Fun and games start with the new Class 800/801/802 trains on both GWR and VTEC. Less spaces.

 

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