Cycling by train

A guide to using our

services and facilities
From January 2012

www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

First Great Western welcomes customers who

cycle to our stations and wish to travel on our
services. The purpose of this guide is to explain
our policy regarding the parking and carriage
of bikes, so that your journey can be easy,
convenient and enjoyable.
We are limited to the number of
conventional bikes that we can carry
on our services, although folding
bikes are welcome at any time. We
would like to confirm the restrictions
we have been obliged to implement,
and to explain how and where you
can store a conventional bike. This
guide tells you everything you need
to know about carrying bikes on our
trains.

Planning your journey

Bicycle parking is available at all of
our stations, giving you the
opportunity to travel by train without
your bike.
Please plan ahead to ensure you
are able to take a bike on your
preferred service, and reserve a
place as reservations are compulsory
on some services. For more details
see the sections on reservations and
restrictions.
Allow plenty of time to buy or collect
your ticket.
Check whether there is any track
improvement work taking place that
may affect your journey, as rail
replacement buses unfortunately
cannot carry conventional bikes
(although folding bikes are permitted).
Further information about our cycle
policy
can
be
found
at:
w w w.fir stgreat western.co.uk /
cycles

Reservations
Bike reservations can be made on all
of our high speed services which
operate between London and the
following areas:
Bristol

Oxford

Cheltenham

South Wales

Devon and
Cornwall

Worcester

Reservations may also be made on

some local services operating
between Cardiff / Bristol and the
south coast.
Please note that there is no charge
for reserving your bike.
Customers are encouraged to
reserve their bikes before travel,
when this facility is available. In the
event that customers without
reservations are unable to board a
particular train because the bike
storage area is full, we will endeavour
to accommodate them on to the next
available service. Customers must
remain with their bike at all times
whilst waiting on the platform.
When to make a reservation
It is best to reserve as early as
possible to ensure you get a space.
At least 24 hours in advance is
advised.

How to make a reservation

Bike reservations can be made at any
train station with a staffed ticket
office. We suggest that you reserve
your bike space when you buy your
travel ticket.
Alternatively, call 08457 000 125 to
make your reservation (calls may be
monitored) at the following times:
Monday Friday between 0700
and 2200.
Saturday Sunday between 0700
and 1900.
Your train ticket and bike reservation
may be posted to you together if you
book these at the same time.
Alternatively you can collect your
tickets at one of our stations.

In accordance with National

Conditions of Carriage, section
2.48 and 2.49 a, b, c & d, our staff
have the right to refuse a bike if there
is not enough space.

Stations
Getting to the station
For the best bicycle route to your
station, please contact your local
council or Sustrans (see back cover
for further details). We continue to
work with local and national groups
to improve access to stations,
including better signage and more
bike storage facilities.
Arrival at the station
If you intend to travel with your bike,
please arrive at the station in good
time for your train we recommend
that you are on the platform at least
five minutes before your train is due
to depart.
Please use the stations lift, where
provided. We do not encourage
cyclists to carry their bicycles up and
down stairs unless this is absolutely
necessary.
Bike storage

Travelling without a reservation

Any non-reserved bike spaces will be
allocated on a first come, first served
basis, including those on services
where reservations are not available.
In the event of cancellations or severe
delays, you will be entitled to travel
on a service other than the one you
were booked on, subject to space
being available. Please retain all
documentation
as
proof
of
reservation.

Most of our stations now have

dedicated bike storage facilities.
Many larger stations also benefit from
sheltered, CCTV monitored bike
parking.
When you park your bike, please take
all removable valuables, including
panniers, with you. We cannot be
held responsible for the theft of your
bike, or the loss of any items taken
from it.

Certain stations also have bike

lockers. Please enquire at the ticket
office for more details.
Please note that in the interests of
security First Great Western reserves
the right to search all lockers and
panniers, and we undertake regular
audits of bike parking at our stations
in order to identify any bikes that may
have been abandoned.
For more details about our bike
storage facilities, please visit
www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk and
go to the station information pages.
At the station
Cycling is not permitted anywhere on
the station. In the interests of safety,
for you and other customers, please
walk with your bike at all times.
If there are ticket gates, please use
the wide staff-operated gate for your
convenience.
All cyclists are requested to ensure
that their bicycle lights are switched
off when on the station platform. In
some circumstances, the presence
of an unknown bright light on the
platform may interfere with the safe
running of our trains as it could be
interpreted as a danger signal.
Boarding the train
Platform staff can advise you where
to stand to get your bike onto the
train. Additionally, there are blue
signs indicating the normal position
of storage on high speed trains.
Staff assistance is required for
boarding some trains with a bike, so
please ensure you are on the correct
part of the platform. Whenever
possible please tell platform staff that
you intend to board.

Bikes can only be accepted in the

dedicated storage area at the rear of
Coach A on high speed trains. Please
note that customers can only access
this area from the platform as there
is no public access from Coach A.
Bike storage on trains
Bikes are to be stored
in the designated
areas, marked by a
blue circle bearing a
white bike.

High Speed Train

Cycle Loading Point

Once on the train, please secure your

bike in the appropriate location.
Note that, for safety reasons, bikes
must not be locked onto anything on
the train. If bikes are locked onto
anything and cannot be unlocked in
time, we retain the right to continue
the journey without removing the bike
at your destination, so the train is not
delayed unnecessarily. However, we
recommend that you lock your wheel
to your frame, which will make the
bike as secure as possible.
Bikes are conveyed at the owners
risk. Please take all removable
valuables including panniers with you,
as we cannot be held responsible for
theft or damage.
We may need to remove bikes where
they are causing an obstruction,
particularly in the doorway areas.
Please, therefore, store your bike in
the correct part of the train.
Tell the Conductor or Train Manager
your destination, so they can ensure
you have access to your bike and are
able to leave the train as safely and
quickly as possible. Please ensure
you have taken all your belongings
with you and be ready to leave the
train when the train arrives at your
station.

Short platforms

Restrictions & trains

Please note that high speed services

calling at the following stations may
not always have the dedicated bike
storage area (Coach A) at the
platform:

Due to the high level of demand on

many of our services its necessary
to place some restrictions on bikes.
This is particularly true at peak times,
although we seek to minimise
restrictions as much as possible.
These restrictions are to ensure that
all customers who wish to travel are
able to board in comfort and safety.

Camborne

Reading West

Dawlish Warren

Saltash

Evesham

Tenby

Kemble

Tilehurst

Maidenhead

Westbury

Manorbier

Worcester
Foregate Street

Moreton-in-Marsh

Please advise the Train Manager if

you intend to leave the train at one of
these stations. You will then be given
the opportunity to move your bike
from the storage area to the coach
vestibule at a suitable station before
arrival at your destination.
If you board the train at one of these
stations, please advise the Train
Manager before loading your bike
into the coach vestibule. You will then
be given the opportunity to move
your bike into the storage area at the
next suitable station.
Unmanned stations
Should you wish to board at a station
when there are no platform staff
available, please put your bike in the
designated area as mentioned earlier.
Please note that it is the responsibility
of cyclists to ensure that their bikes
are stored safely and securely, and
are not causing an obstruction.

Peak time restrictions only apply

Monday to Friday (excluding Bank
Holidays). The restrictions are
detailed below:
High speed services - High Speed
Trains

If you intend to travel at peak times,

on one of our high speed trains
between the stations listed below,
then reservations are compulsory.
This requirement applies to all
high speed trains operating between
London Paddington and one of the
following station:
Bristol

Any station north of

Didcot Parkway

Cheltenham

Any station west of

Taunton

Westonsuper-Mare

Any station in
South Wales

The peak times are defined as follows:

Morning peak - reservations are
compulsory for all services
arriving at London Paddington
between 0700 and 1000 inclusive.

 Evening peak - reservations are

compulsory for all services
departing
from
London
Paddington between 1500 and
1900 inclusive.
Bikes can only be accepted in the
dedicated storage area at the rear of
Coach A. Please note that customers
can only access this area from the
platform as there is no public access
from Coach A.

Local services in the Reading area

- Turbo Trains (Class 165/166)

Other high speed services

We are unable to carry conventional

bikes on peak time services on local
train services for travel between
Reading and London Paddington,
and between Wokingham and
Reading.

For high-speed services operating

through
Newbury,
typically
originating from or terminating at
Westbury and Frome, reservations
are compulsory. During peak times,
bikes may only be loaded or unloaded
at the following stations:

Morning peak any service

arriving at London Paddington
between 0745 and 0945 inclusive,
or departing Wokingham and
arriving at Reading between 0745
and 0945 inclusive.

The peak times are defined as follows:

Newbury
Reading
London Paddington

The peak times are defined as follows:

Evening peak any service

departing London Paddington
between 1630 and 1900 inclusive,
and departing Reading and
arriving in Wokingham between
1630 and 1900 inclusive.

Morning peak any service

arriving at London Paddington
between 0745 and 0945 inclusive.

During off-peak times, bikes are to

be stored in the vestibule area on
these services.

Evening peak any service

departing London Paddington
between 1630 and 1900 inclusive.

Other local services operating in

the West - Diesel Multiple Unit
Train (Class 143/150/153/158)

Bikes can only be accepted in the

dedicated storage area at the rear of
Coach A. Please note that customers
can only access this area from the
platform as there is no public access
from Coach A.

We can carry two bikes on all of these

services. On occasions it may be
possible to carry up to four bikes if
the train is not busy, but this will be
at the Conductors discretion.
If you are not able to board one of
these services as instructed by the
Conductor, you will need to wait for
the next service on which there is
space for a bike to be carried safely.

It is possible to reserve your bike for

travel on our Cardiff Portsmouth
services; at busy times reservations
are compulsory.
Weekends and Bank Holidays
Bikes are accepted on all train
services at weekends and on Bank
Holidays, subject to normal capacity
restrictions. Reservations are not
compulsory on any service on these
days.
Track improvement work
When lines are closed because of
track improvement work, rail
replacement buses will be in
operation. Unfortunately, apart from
folding bicycles, which can be
accommodated when placed in a
suitable carrying bag, we are not able
to carry bikes on these bus
replacement services.
Please check our website at
www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk or
call 08457 48 49 50 before travelling,
to see if your journey is affected.

Different types of
bicycles
Customers with folding bicycles and
folding tricycles are welcome on all
of our services, for any portion of the
journey.

Once folded down, these bicycles

may be stored in the usual luggage
areas.
Please note that we define folding
bikes as those which have a
maximum wheel size of 18 inches in
diameter. Bikes with larger wheels
will be treated as conventional,
non-folding, bikes and must be
stored in the designated area.
Tandems can be carried on high
speed services only.
With the limited space we have
available, we are unable to carry the
following on any of our services:
non-folding tricycles
Rann type trailers
other three-wheeled vehicles
motorcycles
mopeds
motorised cycles
scooters

Bicycle hire
We are working with a number of
organisations to provide bicycle hire
facilities at some of our stations.
Please visit our website for details of
locations and operators for bicycle
hire.
w w w.fir stgreatwestern.co.uk /
cycles

We hope that you have found this

guide useful. Please contact our
Customer Services Team, details of
which can be found on the back
cover, if you have any feedback about
any of our products or services.

an email to one of the following

addresses:

Alternatively, if you have comments

about cycling-related matters at
specific stations, you can send

fgwcyclesbath@firstgroup.com

fgwcyclespaddington@firstgroup.com
fgwcyclesreading@firstgroup.com
fgwcyclesbristol@firstgroup.com

fgwcyclesexeter@firstgroup.com

For more information

First Great Western
For tickets, information, real-time updates and offers visit

www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk
or call us on 08457 000 125
We are open 0700 - 2200 daily

National Rail Enquiries

www.nationalrail.co.uk
08457 48 49 50
For train times and fares
Daily, 24 hours, calls may be recorded
Correct at time of print (Dec 2011)

Cycling groups
CTC
The national body for all cyclists

www.ctc.org.uk
0844 736 8450

Sustrans
The sustainable charity working to promote walking,
cycling and public transport use

www.sustrans.org.uk
0845 113 0065

Cycling England
The body responsible for progressing cycling nationally

www.cyclingengland.co.uk

313635/06