I have promised myself and you, gentle reader, that I will not rant on the bizarre and downright obstructive lunacies of the modern rail "system" when faced with a simple bicycle.

For a dad with 3 children who enjoy a cycle ride, the railway companies' practices beggar belief.   And should you be daft enough to think a tandem is a very practical and enjoyable addition to family cycling, don't try taking a tandem on a train.   It is a LOT easier to arrange a trainload of nuclear waste from Sellafield.

Thank the good lord for the wiser and friendlier train guards who probably put their jobs on the line by allowing a little sanity!

For what it's worth, these are the current (January, 2006) arrangements on rail companies "serving" stations on or near the Cycle Route; worth checking here for up-to-date changes.