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Seeking more advice please!

I am currently on an Off Peak Return from Chichester to Barnstaple. The return journey is planned for Monday, and the ticket routed Westbury Salisbury. I am looking at an excess to route Honiton Salisbury, which should be free of charge?

This route leaves us back on our original train at Salisbury rather than Westbury, and as we have reserved seats would these still be valid (able to prove if necessary)?

This might be a bit confusing, but I hope someone can understand!

[MikeWh]

You've reserved the seat on the train but you'll now be joining the train later than the reservation says. I can't see how this would be a problem. If the train is busy then someone may have sat in the seats when they aren't taken initially, but they should move when you get there.

As it's an off-peak ticket the reservation is not linked to the ticket in the same way that advance tickets are.

[bignosemac]

Originally Posted by MikeWh

If the train is busy then someone may have sat in the seats when they aren't taken initially, but they should move when you get there.

Really? Should someone be forced to move when they've taken up a seat that is empty on departure from the station from which the seat was booked?

If I got on the 158 at Westbury and saw a 'Westbury to xxx' seat reservation that no one had taken up I'd assume they were a no-show and the seat is therefore available. If the service is busy I wouldn't be giving up the seat if that person turned up later in the journey. Unless the reservation slip/display had the name of the passenger on it. Then I'd have to move else I'd be in breach of Byelaw 19.

One of the most annoying things I see is the amount of reserved seats that don't get taken up. Why should I be inconvenienced if someone else has changed their travel plans.

If your plans change and you are travelling with a flexible ticket then you should try to amend your seat reservation. If that can't be done or you're not happy to pay any amendment fee that may be due, then sadly, I'd say, tough.

[adtrainz]

Ok then.

Can anyone confirm the routing and the zero-excess required?

[OwlMan]

You will have to pay a change of route excess of £1

Route Westbury Salisbury £61.50
Route Honiton Salisbury £63.50

For change of route in one direction you pay half the difference - £1

[Greenback]

Originally Posted by bignosemac

Really? Should someone be forced to move when they've taken up a seat that is empty on departure from the station from which the seat was booked?

If I got on the 158 at Westbury and saw a 'Westbury to xxx' seat reservation that no one had taken up I'd assume they were a no-show and the seat is therefore available. If the service is busy I wouldn't be giving up the seat if that person turned up later in the journey. Unless the reservation slip/display had the name of the passenger on it. Then I'd have to move else I'd be in breach of Byelaw 19.

One of the most annoying things I see is the amount of reserved seats that don't get taken up. Why should I be inconvenienced if someone else has changed their travel plans.

If your plans change and you are travelling with a flexible ticket then you should try to amend your seat reservation. If that can't be done or you're not happy to pay any amendment fee that may be due, then sadly, I'd say, tough.

There is no requirement to take up a reserved seat at the first station from which that seat is reserved. The seat has been reserved for the whole journey as listed on the reservation label or display, and a passenger can choose to take up their reservation at any point in that journey.

Of course, in this example, you would be quite entitled to sit ina seat that has no one sitting in it, up until the point that the seat is 'claimed'. If you are travelling to Salisbury then you will vacate the seat before the passenger sist in it in any case.

Sitting in a seat that is clearly marked as reserved always has an element of risk that the rightful occupant will turn up at some stage of the journey. They may be delayed getting through the train with luggage, they may go to the toilet, or on long distance services they may be at the buffet. They may even have simply decided to join the train later, which is perfectly acceptable on most tickets.

The former has happened to me, and it took 3 or 4 stations for the crowds on the train to thin out enough for me to store my bags and get to my seat. I was happy enough for someone else to use it while I couldn't, but as soon as it became accessible I expected them to move. Coincidentally, this was on the same line as the OP's issue.

[34D]

Originally Posted by MikeWh

You've reserved the seat on the train but you'll now be joining the train later than the reservation says. I can't see how this would be a problem. If the train is busy then someone may have sat in the seats when they aren't taken initially, but they should move when you get there.

Originally Posted by Greenback

There is no requirement to take up a reserved seat at the first station from which that seat is reserved. The seat has been reserved for the whole journey as listed on the reservation label or display, and a passenger can choose to take up their reservation at any point in that journey.

I believe that mikewh and grenback are wrong above.

I can't find an official source, but Barry Doe has previously advised that reservations become worthless upon departure from the station concerned.

Indeed, on many trains, guards go around removing 'no show' reservation labels.

I would urge the OP to show respect to anyone who has sat in his 'no show' reservations, and go sit or stand elsewhere.

[Greenback]

Originally Posted by 34D

I believe that mikewh and grenback are wrong above.

I can't find an official source, but Barry Doe has previously advised that reservations become worthless upon departure from the station concerned.

Indeed, on many trains, guards go around removing 'no show' reservation labels.

I would urge the OP to show respect to anyone who has sat in his 'no show' reservations, and go sit or stand elsewhere.

Mr Doe is not always right, but even so, I do not remember reading that advice anywhere. Though I have missed the odd Doe column, I have read almost every one he has writtin since 1989! It defies common sense that someone who is unable to access their seat immediately is then unable to use it at all.

I have also only ever seen guards removing paper labels as the train approached the final destination, and then only rarely.

It has often been claimed that anyone who has not taken their seat within fifteen minutes of departure from the origin station shown on the reservation has lost the use of that seat, but that claim has never been substantiated as far as I know.

Let me be clear. Anyone will have the right to sit in any unoccupied seat, but as long as the seat is marked as reserved the occupier should give up their seat when, or if, the person with that reservation turns up and wishes to use it.

[bignosemac]

Equally the person who has originally reserved the seat should at least attempt to change that reservation if their travel plans change.

I don't argue with someone having to give up the seat if the reservee has had trouble locating their seat when they've boarded at the station marked on the reservation.

Turning up later in the journey after they've changed their travel plans is different though. Why should their change in plans inconvenience me when I've occupied a seat that is unclaimed from the start station on the reservation?