Re: banned from the train



>The question is, what do I do about it? Undoubtedly, a stiff letter is
>called for, but does anyone have any useful suggestions about wording?
>(Yes, I know this is not exactly an original topic, and I shall be
>trawling the archives in due course, but I wanted to mention it because
>circumstances mean it is newly topical.)

Enlist the help of your local cycling campaigns, and those campaigns
near all affected stations and areas.
Last year North Somerset, Bristol and Bath Cycling Campaigns grouped
together (with support from other campaigns in the region) to launch a
e-mail-to-fax campaign to Wessex Trains, who banned cycles from peak-time
services. (some details remain at http://www.nscycle.org.uk/wessex.php )
After a bit of local and national exposure, a few hundred faxes and
postcards through their letterbox, Wessex dropped the ban. They kept the 2
bikes per train rule, though, with many services being non-reservable,
it's a lottery as to whether you can get on or not.
There are many angles to take on this, big luggage being one of them
(Bath Cycling Campaign got on the local TV and in the newspapers with a
campaign where they took big items on the train), lack of alternative
facilities (how are storage facilities at the various stations? Wessex
suggested commuters have 2 bikes, and keep one at either end!!), lack of
transport integration and above all, turning away customers. Is this
communist Russia? I want to travel by train, I want to pay, and they are banning
me because there isn't enough space?
Get campaigning!

.

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