# Anyone with a folder using East Coast rail?



## doogle84 (7 Dec 2011)

A change of circumstances may mean I need to ditch my roadie and rural commute for a folder and an East Coast (ex GNER/National Express) journey. Bad times! I'm actually strangely excited by the prospect of a Brompton though..

I'd appreciate any comments on whether this is advisable vs. using the roadie to get to the station and storing my old hybrid at the other end. It seems less of a faff to use a folder (not having to find spaces to lock up etc.) but I'm worried I'll not find anywhere to put it on the train at peak times and end up standing with it for an hour. Is there space to have the Brompton by your feet, or does it have to go on the luggage rack (where I'd be concerned about security)?


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## Arch (8 Dec 2011)

doogle84 said:


> A change of circumstances may mean I need to ditch my roadie and rural commute for a folder and an East Coast (ex GNER/National Express) journey. Bad times! I'm actually strangely excited by the prospect of a Brompton though..
> 
> I'd appreciate any comments on whether this is advisable vs. using the roadie to get to the station and storing my old hybrid at the other end. It seems less of a faff to use a folder (not having to find spaces to lock up etc.) but I'm worried I'll not find anywhere to put it on the train at peak times and end up standing with it for an hour. Is there space to have the Brompton by your feet, or does it have to go on the luggage rack (where I'd be concerned about security)?


 
I use my Brom about twice a month to go over to Manchester, on TransPennine Express. I think legroom is more or less the same. You won't get it under your legs in a normal seat - you might if East Coast have priority seats with a little more legroom like TPE do. I suspect it would go under a table.

I generally put mine in the bottom of the luggage rack, or if there's no room, it goes in the vestibule - TPE carriages are different to East Coast, and have doors at each end and in the middle. I do fret about security, so if I possibly can I grab a seat where I can see it, even if it means turning my head every so often to look behind me. I've got a little cable lock that I use to lock it to the frame of the rack. Make sure you get up in plenty of time to unlock it before your station.

I often end up standing with my Brom, but that's as much because TPE run 3 carriage trains for services with a 6 carriage amount of people wanting to get on. Having the Brom probably slows me down a bit in the scrum for seats, but I live with it.

How many stops are you going? Bear in mind, no one can really go anywhere with your bike between stations. I suppose someone could pick it up and take it down the train and get off with it, but I don't know if it's a likely scenario. I watch mine carefully because there are other 3 stops between me getting on and off.

I wouldn't fancy leaving a decent bike at a station, day in day out. One day, it's not going to be there, or it'll have a bent wheel.

Oh, I did hear of someone who tried to put a Brom in the overhead luggage rack, and nearly killed an old lady when it fell out. Don't do this.

And certainly, if you're getting a folder for public transport, get a Brompton. The only thing that folds better is the Sinclair A-Bike, and you'd be better off with rollerskates than one of those.


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## TheDoctor (8 Dec 2011)

I often take a Brommie on HSTs. If there's a pair of seats where they go from front-facing to read-facing, there's a gap between the two seat backs and a Brommie fits nicely. Or use the racks at the end of the carriages. Or even book a bike space, but that rather misses the point!


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## growingvegetables (8 Dec 2011)

Afik, all East Coast trains have space in the guard's van for up to six bikes? They'll even take tandems . Certainly true of their old 125 diesels .... but I'm pretty sure their 225 electrics do the same.

Might not be practicable for you of course - but worth checking out?

Fwiw (it's a while since I've used one of their trains) - their staff seem to be universally well-disposed to cyclists.


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## SquareDaff (8 Dec 2011)

Don't have a Brom - but have commutted with someone that did on East Coast between Leeds and Doncaster. There are large luggage racks at both ends of the carriage that will accomodate a Brom (inside of the hydraulic doors - so in sight line) and you can 99% of the time get a seat close by.


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## Arch (8 Dec 2011)

growingvegetables said:


> Afik, all East Coast trains have space in the guard's van for up to six bikes? They'll even take tandems . Certainly true of their old 125 diesels .... but I'm pretty sure their 225 electrics do the same.
> 
> Might not be practicable for you of course - but worth checking out?
> 
> Fwiw (it's a while since I've used one of their trains) - their staff seem to be universally well-disposed to cyclists.


 
Much easier to take a Brom inside the train though, than use the 'guard's van'. Use that, and you have to wait for someone to open it for you - it only happened once that I had to stand by the door waving frantically at the staff nattering half way down the platform to let my bike off before the train carried on to London, but it was fretful enough.

The staff attitude seems to vary by station and train. Berwick upon Tweed - lovely. A member of staff once stopped me as I wheeled my bike to the platform to tell me that the train would be in reverse formation, and told me which end to stand, before I'd even had a chance to ask. Stevenage - bastards. A member of staff hurried me along, and told me accusatorily that the train was already running late, so to be quick. It was already running late before it arrived, so I don't know how it was my fault...


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## TheDoctor (8 Dec 2011)

Oh, I agree. That's why I *always* take the Brommie to Wales, f'rinstance.
I still grumble about the time I was left stuck at Stevenage because the dozy feckwits didn't come to unlock the door, so the train went without me and my bike. That was pre-Brommie, of course.


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## Bromptonaut (8 Dec 2011)

As others say East Coast's 125s have large racks at either end of the carriage; three Brommys on each shelf!!. Also between seat backs where they're back to back but presumably like other operators they now have mostly 'airline' style seats. The electrics are a pain. Less space in the carriages and where the odd seat is back to back the space is either too low or too narrow. 

But as Arch says don't be tempted to put one on the overhead rack. A bounce over the points or a cant deficient curve taken fast and it could fall out. Don't think a helmet would help in those circs.........


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## Little yellow Brompton (9 Dec 2011)

Arch said:


> Much easier to take a Brom inside the train though, than use the 'guard's van'. Use that, and you have to wait for someone to open it for you - it only happened once that I had to stand by the door waving frantically at the staff nattering half way down the platform to let my bike off before the train carried on to London, but it was fretful enough.
> 
> The staff attitude seems to vary by station and train. Berwick upon Tweed - lovely. A member of staff once stopped me as I wheeled my bike to the platform to tell me that the train would be in reverse formation, and told me which end to stand, before I'd even had a chance to ask. Stevenage - bastards. A member of staff hurried me along, and told me accusatorily that the train was already running late, so to be quick. It was already running late before it arrived, so I don't know how it was my fault...


 

I had the same experience last week with First Great Western.
Train arrives on the minute it's due to depart, I'm the second one into the bike ghetto , 3 bikes already there so no room for us both to work, he leave I manouveur the bike in and as I'm securing my strap on the brake lever the guard shouts "QUICKLY!" , as I exit I ask him " Do you think that is the way to speak to customers?" his answer was " Well your'e holding the train up!" 


As he refused to answer the question I emailed it to Customer Care, which reminds me, their " we will reply within 5 working days" expired this morning...


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## Arch (9 Dec 2011)

I'd love to know if they tell people in wheelchairs, or with pushchairs or small children, to hurry up?

Not people in wheelchairs obviously, because thanks to our inability to build platforms at train door height, they have to to be wheeled on by staff...

And don't get me started on wheeled suitcases....


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## TheDoctor (9 Dec 2011)

The trains I get from Swansea to where my Dad lives have a space for wheelchairs and bikes.
One or the other, obviously, because you'd never cater for both simultaneously.
It's always, always full of wheelycases.


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## doogle84 (9 Dec 2011)

Thanks for all the tips, I'll remember to avoid the temptation of the overhead rack.. I'll be going from Peterborough to London; I think this means a stop at Stevenage so I'll put it in the luggage rack and use a cheap combo lock to stop someone wandering off with it. 

My next question is probably more important: black or white frame?


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## TheDoctor (10 Dec 2011)

If it's commuting time of day a lot of them don't stop at St Ephanage.
Wave to me as the train goes through though!! 
Black frames are good, obviously (my one being black) but red ones are at least 10% faster.
(may not actually be true)
Also, you don't have to keep it just for commuting...


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## Little yellow Brompton (10 Dec 2011)

TheDoctor said:


> The trains I get from Swansea to where my Dad lives have a space for wheelchairs and bikes.
> One or the other, obviously, because you'd never cater for both simultaneously.
> It's always, always full of wheelycases.


 
The cater for both by having one carriage with space for wheel chairs, and one for bikes, the third ( middle carriage) has space for buggys. Why then do chavs manage to find the wheelchair spaces and the bike spaces ?


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## TheDoctor (11 Dec 2011)

The one I tend to get has two carriages, and it's utterly chocka. If I had anything other than a Brommie I probably wouldn't get on.
I've never noticed a separate wheelchair space - which isn't to say there isn't, I just don't remember it.


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## CopperBrompton (25 Dec 2011)

I've yet to find any train without room to keep my Brommie very close to me. On local commuter trains, it fits nicely in the luggage space between the seats:






There's even space on the tube:


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## Bromptonaut (26 Dec 2011)

Which train co and class of rolling stock is that Ben?

London Midland's 350/1 EMU's have such spots but only two of them. The newer 350/2 version has many more back to back seats but the hi-density layout involved seats wth less rake and too little space for a B. Actually it might fit inverted but I've too much respect for my Brooks saddle to try that,


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## CopperBrompton (26 Dec 2011)

National Express. No clue on rolling stock - trains.  But it also fits next to the end seats with room for people to pass, and as I say I have never had a problem keeping it close to me on any train service.


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## chap (30 Dec 2011)

Used to travel by train, and East Coast was one of the better services. here is enough space to accommodate one (or two) Bromptons in between the space created by back-to-back seats, unless there is an infernal bin occupying the space. Alternatively, purchase a basic lock and you can put it in most of the vestibules.


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