Glasgow central to Oban bike reservation confusion?

[Adventurer]

I’ve booked a ticket for myself and also a bike reservation from Glasgow central to Oban on the start of my trip

I booked direct with Scot rail

However I have just collected my tickets today and noticed my cycle reservation is actually from Dalmuir to Oban????

What’s that about


Same situation on my return ticket that’s back to Glasgow central about two weeks later. The bit from Dalmuir to Glasgow central is missing on my cycle reservation ?

Why is this

I’ve also just had a look at just the Glasgow to Dalmuir only journey and there is no option to book a bicycle booking, so I can only presume that this part of the journey does not require a cycle booking?

At no point during my booking if the journey was I informed that I could not book a bicycle. In fact it said that 4 bicycle places were available and was not informed that a part of my journey was not available for my bicycle.

[voodoo_simon]

Doesn’t help you but is it a local train or an inner city style train?

Probably worth a call to see if they actually allow bikes on that section, I know some cities are really good like this whilst others aren’t

Train travel is such hit and miss in this country

[whitestone]

The trains to Oban from Glasgow go from Queen Street not Central. It’s about a ten minute walk between the two.

Which station is Dalmuir? I’ve a feeling it’s the first one out of Queen Street

[Adventurer]

The trains to Oban from Glasgow go from Queen Street not Central. It’s about a ten minute walk between the two.

Which station is Dalmuir? I’ve a feeling it’s the first one out of Queen Street

I’ve read that the trains for Oban leave from a queen street and just checked my ticket and it does say queen street.

I’m thinking that at the time I’ve booked the queen street to dalmvir does not require a bicycle reservation

[rudedog]

Dalmuir is the first stop according to this

[Adventurer]

Dalmuir is the first stop according to this

Dalmuir is the 10th calling point from Glasgow

I thought I would ask ascot Rail but cannot find a number to speak to someone about issues like this

[Adventurer]

Omg

Tried to ask them a question on line and you cannot ask a question about a service after 23/03/23

It won’t allow you to send the question form

I just give up

No wonder people just drive, if you want to-use your bike then make it as hard as possible or you can F off as a customer

So frustrating, stressful and impossible to navigate their service

I honestly feel like not bothering with this trip, too much hassle and stressful not knowing if you can actually get to where you want to go. It all has to be pre booked and planned or it just does not work if you have a bike. If one part fails then you have spend hundreds of pounds on tickets for it all to be a complete waste

I’m pis ed off

[whitestone]

Most reservation systems don't let you do things more than a certain time into the future or a given time frame prior to your journey. A bit frustrating at times. I'd just ask about the same service you'd booked but pretend it's prior to 23/3, unlikely that things are going to be different from when you are intending to travel.

The West Highland Line is VERY popular with cyclists - last year we tried to get two bikes on from Tyndrum Upper to Rannoch (just one stop) by asking in person at Oban station and there was no room for bikes on any service for the following three days, this was midweek. The guy on the counter was very helpful but the trains were just full.

It's quite possible that whoever issued the tickets made a mistake when choosing the end stations for the bike reservation.

On a side note I recently had something similar: I was contacted through the Dept of Work and Pensions by a pension company, they'd lost my contact details. The letter contained a reference number to use when contacting them. Problem! Neither their website nor their automated phone system would accept the reference number A lot of pulling of hair before I eventually confused the phone system and got through to a human.

[Adventurer]

I have now sorted it and this is a caution to anyone booking tickets from Glasgow to Oban

I booked online from Glasgow to Oban online

So the system only gave me the option to book from Glasgow - central to Oban. I follow the booking as recommended and book (with bike reservation). This was my mistake or ScotRails for not being clear

Collected my tickets today - my ticket says Glasgow Central/Queen street to Oban and cycle reservation from only dalmuir to Oban !!!!
(So is it central or queen street? inquires I’ve phoned have confirmed it’s Glasgow central NOT queen street)

I have to make one change at Dalmuir and this is the issue. It’s a local train with a potential of not getting my bike on if the conductor says no from Glasgow central to dammuir and if I can’t get on this train then my bike booking for the connection is worthless.

So ………

I’ve had to cancel my booking and get a refund and re-book specifically from Glasgow QUEEN STREET to Oban

This is one journey, no changes. Bike booked for whole distance and myself.

So after long last speeding to a human at Scot rail I’ve got it sorted. This could have been a big mistake and thank got I collected my tickets today or I would not have realised and thank god there were still places left to book

Cost me about £25 to book the train

Thanks for everyone’s help

[Dean]

Related PSA: you can now use Trainline to book bike tickets across multiple train operators for a single trip. Just booked London-Wick (LNER and Scotrail x2) in one ticket without needing to call someone.

[fatbikephil]

Scotrail's bike booking on line system seems a bit rubbish - it's shown no availability on a service but when you got into a station to book it, there are spaces....
I guess that it's always going to be a problem with an online booking system - it will take you literally if you plug in two stations whereas a person in a station would have told you that the oban trains start from Queen street. That said, local services around Glasgow still hark back to the good old days of Strathclyde passenger transport (who used to run most trains around Glasgow and Strathclyde) they didn't care two hoots about how many bikes you got on a train and where you put them.

Glad you got sorted Adventurer - it is a classic rail journey.

[ripio]

You wouldn't have had any problem taking your bike on the Central to Dalmuir sector, no bookings required to take bikes on any of the local Strathclyde trains, although you would have had to humpf your bike up and down the stairs of the overbridge between the two lines at Dalmuir.

[AlasdairMc]

Dalmuir is the 10th calling point from Glasgow

It’s the 10th station from Central, but first from Queen Street as they’re two different lines that converge there. It’s a local service - and I’ve never ever had an issue with local Glasgow trains and bike spaces. They’ll make it fit.

I suspect ScotRail have booked you the journey with the least inconvenience (no walking/pedalling across Glasgow).