Integrated Transport Policy - NOT!!

So you want to get yourself and bike to Lands End and then back from John o'Groats. Can't be the first to do it - of course the train companies will have this covered. What a farce. Although I did this sometime ago the memory of the 'experience' still annoys me.

Firstly you need to wait for the Rail companies to release their dates. Okay did this
Then you go online and find that whilst you can book your seats for free, online you cannot book bike spots so.....
premium rate phone call later you have your first leg booked from Warrington to Birmingham BUT
this "untouched for the first time" rail company can only book a bike on the bit they run so.....
you need to ring each rail company separately - the one to Exeter and then the one to Penzance BUT...
the last company have not released their bike spaces yet, so 'can you ring back in a week' so......
your entire trip hangs on someone else not sneaking in and grabbing one of the only 2 bike spaces a train can carry.

So after about 1.5 hours I end up with 3 rail companies booking my seat and bike individually. None know of my dependence on each of them to get to Penzance on time. All charged me call fees for the privilege of booking my bike and the total cost was well in excess of £100. It would have been more if I had booked my seats solely through the initial company.

Thank goodness I am doing this on my own - what if I had wanted to travel with "god forbid" 2+ friends - trains only take 2 bikes, what a logistical nightmare that would have been.

So, well prepared I contacted Scotrail for the Jo'G to Stirling trip. What a fantastic change. One rail company, 7 hours of travel, one change - booked in 5 minutes for the grand total of £15 due to booking so early. Now that is what public transport should be about.

No wonder we cannot move from the Car Culture - our trains are overpriced, overfull and the service is poor.

Not one for nationalisation but a single integrated booking system that allows point to point bookings WITH bike etc would be good!! That smacks of Integrated Transport and Customer Service - now wash my mouth out. Lets hope my start is not upset by something incorrect being on the line (leaves, snow......)