Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 07:35 29 Mar 2024
- Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
- Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
06:30 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
07:20 Reading to Gatwick Airport
07:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
07:49 Bedwyn to Newbury
08:13 Newbury to Bedwyn
08:46 Bedwyn to Newbury
09:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
Short Run
04:54 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:23 Hereford to London Paddington
05:33 Plymouth to London Paddington
05:55 Plymouth to London Paddington
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
07:24 Exmouth to Paignton
07:38 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance
07:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Westbury
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
12:15 Penzance to London Paddington
Delayed
23:45 London Paddington to Penzance
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 07:51:10 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[82] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[76] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[74] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[67] Return of the BRUTE?
[57] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[46] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5] 6 7 ... 9
  Print  
Author Topic: GWR bans surfboards from IET services  (Read 36270 times)
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #60 on: May 17, 2019, 19:41:07 »

If the surfboard were a fare-paying passenger, that would be a fair point. Maybe if GWR (Great Western Railway) were to sell tickets for surfboards, double basses, bicycles, outsize prams, and dogs it would have more interest in providing a service to such customers.

Not Finn, obviously.

Back in 1977, I practically moved house from Blackpool to Bristol by train. Not that I had a great deal of kit, but two rucksacks, a suitcase and a 6-piece stereo system with quite large speakers was a bit of a task. I would have found it nigh impossible but for only having to change at Birmingham New Street, now an option once more, and the assistance of some rather festive Jollies en route to the Indian Ocean via Plymouth, who helped me transfer the stuff from one train to another, and detrained it at Bristol Temple Meads. The worst bit was getting it from Temple Meads to my then pokey little bedsit in Cotham, without the price of a taxi in my pocket. It would have been easier had it not been a Sunday, at a time when Redland trains didn't run. I did it by 100 metre or so leapfrogs. To my advantage, Carolina House in Kingsdown was at that time open to the public, rather than the current door entry system now in place, so I went in on the ground floor and took the lift to the 8th or 9th, thus saving the schlep up Ninetree Hill.

I'm not proud of it, and won't be doing it again in a hurry.
Logged

Now, please!
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #61 on: May 17, 2019, 20:32:44 »

I believe this is a notice on display at Paddington - heavily photoshopped to make the text easily readable.

Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #62 on: May 17, 2019, 21:14:57 »

I believe this is a notice on display at Paddington - heavily photoshopped to make the text easily readable.



So no problem then. Ryanair stopped carrying surfboards without an extra fee from London (-ish) Stansted some years ago. I believe that surfboards can be rented in Newquay, and there will be fewer comedy incidents with passengers getting whacked around the head without them. Someone must be able to invent a folding surfboard.

Frankly, I see the railway as a service to passengers, not London-based surfers.
Logged

Now, please!
Bmblbzzz
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4256


View Profile
« Reply #63 on: May 17, 2019, 21:23:56 »

If the surfboard were a fare-paying passenger, that would be a fair point. Maybe if GWR (Great Western Railway) were to sell tickets for surfboards, double basses, bicycles, outsize prams, and dogs it would have more interest in providing a service to such customers.

Not Finn, obviously.

Back in 1977, I practically moved house from Blackpool to Bristol by train. Not that I had a great deal of kit, but two rucksacks, a suitcase and a 6-piece stereo system with quite large speakers was a bit of a task. I would have found it nigh impossible but for only having to change at Birmingham New Street, now an option once more, and the assistance of some rather festive Jollies en route to the Indian Ocean via Plymouth, who helped me transfer the stuff from one train to another, and detrained it at Bristol Temple Meads. The worst bit was getting it from Temple Meads to my then pokey little bedsit in Cotham, without the price of a taxi in my pocket. It would have been easier had it not been a Sunday, at a time when Redland trains didn't run. I did it by 100 metre or so leapfrogs. To my advantage, Carolina House in Kingsdown was at that time open to the public, rather than the current door entry system now in place, so I went in on the ground floor and took the lift to the 8th or 9th, thus saving the schlep up Ninetree Hill.

I'm not proud of it, and won't be doing it again in a hurry.
If you'd had a surfboard, you could have put all the other stuff on it and used it as a sledge.  Grin Though it might just have slid back down Ninetree Hill... (and quite likely broken the surfboard).
Logged

Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
Kernowman
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 104


View Profile
« Reply #64 on: May 20, 2019, 01:48:00 »

Frankly, I see the railway as a service to passengers, not London-based surfers.

Indeed that just about sums it up! Some groups / sections of society are seen as 'passengers' by GWR (Great Western Railway) and other groups / sections are not!

But this situation isn't just about surfers, the way this new 'rule' has been seemingly secretly rolled out without planning or consultation, despite the fact that there is a clear demand for surfboard accommodation, should be a warning to us all.

It may be surfers affected today but tomorrow will it be, for example:

Cyclists

those wishing to purchase food/drink

those requiring an accessible toilet

the list could go on.

Once you say the railway is for this type of passenger but not that type of passenger it can be a slippery slope..

In his post on this thread Mark Hopwood mentions the increased seating capacity of the IETs (Intercity Express Train), and of course this is very welcome, but in their current format, I'm not sure that IETs are suitable, particularly for the longer-distance InterCity routes. What is also important, for any company, is to listen to customers and their concerns, or suffer the fallout/bad press etc from not doing so. In this case will GWR listen and act, only time will tell I guess?

KM
Logged
ellendune
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4452


View Profile
« Reply #65 on: May 20, 2019, 07:40:02 »

But this situation isn't just about surfers, the way this new 'rule' has been seemingly secretly rolled out without planning or consultation, despite the fact that there is a clear demand for surfboard accommodation, should be a warning to us all.

A clear demand on how many services in a year? If money had to be spent to make this provision how much would it subsidise each surf board user? Or would the charge to pay for it, remove the demand?

It may be surfers affected today but tomorrow will it be, for example:

Cyclists

those wishing to purchase food/drink

those requiring an accessible toilet

the list could go on.

Now this is just getting silly.  The accessible toilet is required by law (provided toilets are provided at all).    
Logged
mjray
Full Member
***
Posts: 31


View Profile
« Reply #66 on: May 20, 2019, 11:05:18 »

But this situation isn't just about surfers, the way this new 'rule' has been seemingly secretly rolled out without planning or consultation, despite the fact that there is a clear demand for surfboard accommodation, should be a warning to us all.

A clear demand on how many services in a year? If money had to be spent to make this provision how much would it subsidise each surf board user? Or would the charge to pay for it, remove the demand?
Why does it matter how many services? And is money needed because aren't the large luggage spaces intended to facilitate carriage of such, well, large luggage?

Do we really want to try charging to force the remaining surfers off the railways and onto the motorways?
Now this is just getting silly.  The accessible toilet is required by law (provided toilets are provided at all).    
Good luck enforcing that sort of law. It now seems like you pretty much have to beg a regulator or charity to support your case. If they get away with this, I suspect they could drop any feature by stealth and it would take months to years to restore the ones required by law, by which time most who need them would have had to find alternatives... but that is getting a bit off-topic here.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #67 on: May 21, 2019, 11:23:42 »

Difficult call as to how much or how little should be done to handle the more specialist travel requirements - the tradeoff between commercial operation and customer need, the questions as to how much subsidy and cross-subsidy there should be, and whether resources need to be put in for occasional peaks.

As a matter of interest, I followed up by looking at the schedules for the London to Newquay services that remain available for those with Surfboards (night sleeper train connecting to local). See attachments to this post. A daily service; London to Newquay connection is awful with a 2 and a half hour wait at Par.  On the way back, it's a 30 minute connection.

Has anyone suggested Waterloo - Exeter - local train onwards yet?  How are SWR» (South Western Railway - about) with surfboards?
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Richard Fairhurst
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1204


View Profile Email
« Reply #68 on: May 21, 2019, 15:53:21 »

Since GWR (Great Western Railway) halved thirded bike capacity, I've taken to using my folding bike in most cases - I'm lucky to have a really lovely one (a Bike Friday from Oregon) which rides almost like a proper bike.

So I was about to make a glib comment here about folding surfboards. But it turns out they actually exist...

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-fantastic-world-of-collapsible-surfboards
Logged
Henry
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 369


View Profile
« Reply #69 on: May 21, 2019, 16:39:41 »


 Slightly off subject, Dartington have their annual music festival soon.

 So I assume a double bass will also have the same prohibition as a surf-board.
 
Logged
TaplowGreen
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7747



View Profile
« Reply #70 on: May 21, 2019, 18:25:49 »

Surely it would be possible during Boardmasters to have say 2 or 3 trains a day to/from Paddington where a limited number of surfboards are carried (reservation only basis) in preference to bikes? Or even run a relief service? It's only one weekend a year for goodness sake, surely there's room for even GWR (Great Western Railway) to use a bit of intelligence & compromise?
Logged
PhilWakely
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 2007



View Profile
« Reply #71 on: May 21, 2019, 18:47:44 »

Surely it would be possible during Boardmasters to have say 2 or 3 trains a day to/from Paddington where a limited number of surfboards are carried (reservation only basis) in preference to bikes? Or even run a relief service? It's only one weekend a year for goodness sake, surely there's room for even GWR (Great Western Railway) to use a bit of intelligence & compromise?

Or <shock horror mode> utilise a couple of the spare 2+8 HST (High Speed Train) sets still around! </shock horror mode>
Logged
Timmer
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6293


View Profile
« Reply #72 on: May 21, 2019, 19:13:03 »

Surely it would be possible during Boardmasters to have say 2 or 3 trains a day to/from Paddington where a limited number of surfboards are carried (reservation only basis) in preference to bikes? Or even run a relief service? It's only one weekend a year for goodness sake, surely there's room for even GWR (Great Western Railway) to use a bit of intelligence & compromise?
I would like to think GWR already have a plan for when Boardmasters take place bearing in mind they do run extra services for the event. We shall see.
Logged
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7156


View Profile
« Reply #73 on: May 21, 2019, 20:36:58 »

French trains are bigger than ours, so you'd expect there to be no problem in taking surfboards and skis on TGVs (Train a Grande Vitesse). So I thought I'd have a look - and apparently that's not so. It isn't 100% clear, as in some places SNCF (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways) say there are no limits on bagages. But of course that may not include things that have names of their own.

Where there is a size limit given, it's for all planches nautiques, and it's 1.2 x 0.9m and in a carrying bag. On the other hand, there's a general expectation for trains that if you can carry it on it'll be OK - and advice from surfers to get it on board and flat on a rack without making it obvious, and hope to get away with it. The cheaper Ouigo trains have quite strict luggage limits. I suspect there's a bit of history between SNCF and surfers - I came across a page describing a new card for kids and specially adapted trains for going surfing ... and the the bottom it said poisson d'Avril.

For comparison, skis are allowed, with no length limit, and unfolded bikes are now by reservation only at €10 each. SNCF push their luggage in advance service, at €80 (for three dimensions adding to 3m or less), and in one place quote a penalty charge of €174 for oversize items on trains.
Logged
Bmblbzzz
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4256


View Profile
« Reply #74 on: May 21, 2019, 20:44:56 »


 Slightly off subject, Dartington have their annual music festival soon.

 So I assume a double bass will also have the same prohibition as a surf-board.
 
As a double bass is larger than a surfboard (not as long/tall but much "deeper" pun not intended) and more fragile, I doubt many try it. I know that when bassists and cellists fly, they usually book another seat for their instrument rather than entrust it to the hold.
Logged

Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 ... 3 4 [5] 6 7 ... 9
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page