National Rail cycling by train app?

[Bletchleyite]

So, we already have the assistance app - why not a "cycling by train" app? It could contain details of TOC policies, allow users to look up how many spaces remain and book one or more spaces.

For the Luddites among us, all other channels for doing so would remain as it is now.

 

[mmh]

An app that for the vast majority of journeys would just say "good luck?"

Making cycle reservations, on the few routes they exist, something you have to put a bit of effort into has an enormous benefit for people wanting to reserve a cycle place. Make it easier and people will actually have a worse experience overall.

 

[jfowkes]

It would be good to have visibility of cycle reservations in advance, especially if you're looking for lower cost fares or doing split ticketing. I've kept a customer service person busy for 15 minutes while I tried to find a combination of trains that I could afford and actually had bike spaces.

 

[Bletchleyite]

An app that for the vast majority of journeys would just say "good luck?"

Making cycle reservations, on the few routes they exist, something you have to put a bit of effort into has an enormous benefit for people wanting to reserve a cycle place. Make it easier and people will actually have a worse experience overall.

That is so typical of this Forum. "I like things remaining obscure and complex so I can benefit". See also fares.

 

[JKF]

Book your bike space and find it full of suitcases…

 

[Doctor Fegg]

GWR were planning one a few years back but it seems to have died a death.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Book your bike space and find it full of suitcases…

This thread wasn't created to debate cycle space policy, misuse etc nor whether bikes should be on trains or not. It is a proposal for an app, that's all.

 

[Dave W]

I am probably vastly underestimating the comedy of the reservation system but an app which drags together all reservable companies so one can:

• make one reservation for a multiple leg journey. Leeds-Bath or similar
• where reservations aren’t available, access advice about how busy the route is or when best to travel with a bike
• identify sections which could be cycled to cut out lengthy connections, based on criteria selected by the user (length, time, elevation, etc)

... wouldn’t be a bad start.

But I reckon it’s a bit trickier than that...

 

[mmh]

That is so typical of this Forum. "I like things remaining obscure and complex so I can benefit". See also fares.

Sigh. I didn't say anything about wanting complexity or obscurity. My point is absolutely nothing to do with that, nor any kind of luddite opinion on apps, rather everything to do with how easing access to a (very) scarce resource would actually work.

Your proposal would only have any chance of working in combination with a fee for bike reservations, and probably quite a high one. Is that the system you envisaged?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sigh. I didn't say anything about wanting complexity or obscurity. My point is absolutely nothing to do with that, nor any kind of luddite opinion on apps, rather everything to do with how easing access to a (very) scarce resource would actually work.

Your proposal would only have any chance of working in combination with a fee for bike reservations, and probably quite a high one. Is that the system you envisaged?

I would prefer a properly delivered service for a fee than the current incompetently delivered service without one, yes, absolutely. A fee also establishes a contract, so the railway then cannot abandon cyclists when things go wrong.

Furthermore rationing through obscurity/difficulty, which you ARE favouring (as it is the literal opposite of easing it, which you are opposing), is about the least fair way of rationing a limited resource. Making it easier but first come (to reserve) first served is far fairer, even if you changed nothing else.

 

[rapmastaj]

Bike spaces on trains urgently need improving! The key thing is to simply put in a policy to increase the number of spaces available on each train, but easier booking is a big part of it. There are so few TOC websites that allow spaces to be booked.