Advice please’

[modernrail]

Sorry, I would normally trust my own work on this but I have to get this one right and so would appreciate the forum’s advice.

Travelling to Glasgow from London with bike for a weeks cycling holiday on the 30th. WCML seems to be down. Thinking options are,

Travel Fri to Southport, stay with sister then Sat morning to Glasgow but would have to travel Carlisle to Glasgow via Dumfries as RRBS won’t take bike.

Or, travel up Saturday via Edinburgh so about 6 hours 30.

Have I got that right?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looks like the only direct (heavy rail) trains from Carlisle to Glasgow Central on Saturday 30th April 2022 will be the relatively infrequent Scotrail services via Dumfries, with the possible exception of an early morning 0649 TPE service via Lockerbie (is this actually running?)

Believe that Scotrail operate non-reservable cycle spaces on a first come, first served basis, on this particular route.

 

[Huntergreed]

Sorry, I would normally trust my own work on this but I have to get this one right and so would appreciate the forum’s advice.

Travelling to Glasgow from London with bike for a weeks cycling holiday on the 30th. WCML seems to be down. Thinking options are,

Travel Fri to Southport, stay with sister then Sat morning to Glasgow but would have to travel Carlisle to Glasgow via Dumfries as RRBS won’t take bike.

Or, travel up Saturday via Edinburgh so about 6 hours 30.

Have I got that right?

I'm afraid this is correct. There are bike spaces on the Scotrail 156's which operate this route, and they're almost always vacant in my experience of travelling on it (especially if travelling from Carlisle, I'm sure you'll be fine).

 

[modernrail]

Perfect, thanks for your replies. I have decided to go up the EC instead - although will probably find out there are no spaces after hanging on 20 mins to speak to somebody to try and book one having already booked my advance ticket (as you need to have a ticket before booking a space) and so needing to move the ticket (which according to one part of the LNER site you can do until October but according the FAQ only until end of March just passed).

What a system!

 

[Techniquest]

Have fun loading your cycle onto an Azuma! If you haven't already tried it before, it isn't terribly easy to do but equally I'll have those hooks over the space on a Voyager any day.

More importantly, wherever your tour takes you, I hope you have an amazing time. There's so many amazing options available, as I'm sure you will have already seen. I am actually a little bit jealous right now!