Luggage and trains in England and Scotland

Long-distance trains will definitely have luggage racks above seats as well as the ones at the end of the carriage, and a 24'' case should fit into them without trouble as long as you can lift it high enough. The very short-distance trains in the south of England will probably have overhead luggage racks, but there may not be in some seating areas.

Lisaew - there is another thread that you might check.... titled "suitcases on trains" for some good information. (And 24" might end up too heavy to lift overhead)

Thank you for your thoughts and helpful advice. I have to limit the 24 bag to less than 44 pounds due to the flights I am taking domestically in the UK. The one I have weighs only 5 pounds empty so I think I will be OK to lift it. On my previous trip to Italy and Switzerland, I took a 22" rollerboard and it weighed in at 47 pounds (full) at JFK when I left. It was very difficult to lift but I took all first class trains and had plenty of room to balance myself and hoist the suitcase up.

Hi Lisa, we took a lightweight bike lock similar to the one below. The plan was to secure the two suitcases together and, if possible, attach it to a pole or luggage shelf at the end of the aisle on the train. Fortunately, there was plenty of room in the overhead for our 21" suitcases, so we didn't need to use it.

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-8143D-Coiling-16-inch/dp/B000BVXDZM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468286669&sr=8-3&keywords=bike+lock

Lisaew, 44 lb???? You really should give some thoughts to lighting your load. We have used the bin storage on trains for years without no problems. I think greater likely hood is that someone takes you bag by mistake rather than my theft.

44 is only 3 smaller than 47. A bag of flour.

If you are mobility restricted hauling such a huge amount of weight isn't going to help, and will be difficult if you have a stick in the other hand.

Can I suggest that the weight of the bag isn't the weight of the bag, it is what goes in the bag. 44 pounds is still 44 pounds.

At a minimum you will have to lift the bag onto and off the trains, and perhaps up and down stairs to platforms.

44 lbs?? Wow! Just up the steps onto the train, or up any steps might be not so much fun, or even down the steps. I would also suggest lightening it up.

Some thoughts that leap to mind:

• You might injure yourself trying to lift 44 lb onto the overhead rack.
• I've known travelers who strained themselves or got sick and could not handle their bags as well on the road as when they first left home.
• How much will it weigh after souvenir shopping?
• Have you confirmed elevators at your booked hotels?

Another vote for lightening up. Some English train stations don't have lifts or elevators (or, if you are in a rush for a connection, they might be hard to find, which in my case adds a load of panic to the burden.) Aircraft cabin crews know more about heavy luggage than anyone. On the airline I use the most, Air Canada, the attendants are allowed to refuse to lift heavy bags into overhead storage. Their backs are grateful.

Lisa, as other have said, only long distance trains have racks at the end of the carriage, but all, including local trains, have overhead racks the length of the train. These are a bit larger than on planes, but the limiting factor is can you put your suitcase up there, and get it down again.
There is a third place for luggage on trains. where two seats are back-to-back, there is an "A" shaped space between the seat backs which is designed for large cases. But this space is limited, and first-come-first-served.

And, you have to consider getting your luggage through the station and on and off trains. Many stations have lifts, but there may be only one, and not in the obvious place.

For more info on luggage on trains, see this webpage: http://seat61.com/luggage-on-european-trains.htm

I'm equally speechless (well, not quite) at 44 pounds. That's more than twice as much as the full Eagle Creek 20" roller bag I took on my 6-week trip to England and Scotland May 1 to June 12 this year.

I can't imagine getting that much weight up and down steps anywhere, nevermind lifting it onto a rack on a train, be it close to entrances or above my or somebody else's head.

Actually, I'm quite impressed that you could lift that large a bag up into the overhead compartment. Some of them are quite high. I don't know about the particular trains you'll be riding on, but I've certainly been on trains that had far too small an overhead area for that size bag. We've used the end racks many times with no problems.