Great Western Coffee Shop

I've no problem finding the right carriage with the dangly bike cupboards once I'm on the platform (look for the cycle symbol on the door and/or the end with the black Delner connector) but I want to know which carriage to book a seat in so I don't have to wander through the train. I'll be on the 0730 from Temple Meads to Cheltenham (probably; slim chance I'll go for the 0700).

(Background: taking my bike up to Cheltenham for an event. Yes, I could/would ride up there, but I have to get there early a.m. and then ride ~90 miles, so the train is easier.)

(I suppose I don't know for sure it'll be a Voyager, but it usually is!)

Thanks!

If you book on the XC website, you can choose your seat - there is a 'select your seat' option on one of the booking pages. You can move between coaches, and in one coach 'D'...it shows the bike area. You can then select your seat close to that area.

It's D (coach F end) on the Voyagers and in G (Gaurds van) for their HSTs.

Thanks, Coach D is more or less what I remember but wasn't sure.

ChrisB, I don't see anything like that on the XC website. All I see is a box with pulldown menu allowing Quiet or No Preference. In fact, that website doesn't even let you book a bike (unlike eg Virgin East Coast – but I've never actually seen a plan of the coaches on any site).

Yep, fill those in & it allocates a seat. On the following page where it tells you what you're buying & seatcallication, to the right it a button that says 'Selext your seat'....

Real time trains states whether Voyager or HST for a given service, although as there are limited numbers of xc HSTs they may be replaced by a Voyager at short notice.

I thought there were five sets, and only 2 or 3 daily diagrams, so (failures en route excepted) they should be able to do a like for like replacement if one's got a problem.

The 07.30 from Bristol TM on weekdays and Saturdays is almost always a Voyager. Very rare for it to be a HST. In fact I think only once can I recall it being so.

I hope that helps

I don't recall ever seeing a XC HST on that route, though I'm sure they do run.

There are at least 2 HST sets that run on that route throughout the day. They are not generally booked to work the 07.30 though. This is the 05.20 service from Plymouth to Edinburgh Monday-Friday, the 05.25 Saturday.

On one occasion a HST failed the day before at Plymouth and was used to work the 05.20 service from there

 ;D

Turned out no bike spaces left on the 0730 so booked on the 0700. Gonna need some coffee!

Load up on caffeine before you board the XC service. The stuff from the trolley, allegedly a Starbucks blend, is 'love in a canoe' coffee.