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New seat reservation displays on existing LNER trains

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ejstubbs

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It appears these things are Bluetooth (sorry if it’s been mentioned a thousand times). I was searching for a Bluetooth device of mine the other day and up popped several similarly named things.

Hmm. I would have expected them to be not visible to non-paired Bluetooth devices in normal operation. Or is pairing 40-odd devices per coach considered too difficult? It should only be a one-off job, unless replacing one that's failed or fallen off.
 
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skifans

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Hmm. I would have expected them to be not visible to non-paired Bluetooth devices in normal operation. Or is pairing 40-odd devices per coach considered too difficult? It should only be a one-off job, unless replacing one that's failed or fallen off.
My understanding is that a bluetooth device which is hidden can still be seen, I think the Bluetooth device just sends out a specific code which software is supposed to interpret as meaning a hidden device and to not show them in any listings, but that additional bit of logic isn't always added in.
 

broadgage

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How's about when someone goes to the buffet?

It seems a solution looking for a problem, really, when I think it would be genuinely better just to mark some coaches as reserved and some as unreserved and just make reservations really easy to get right up to travel.

Simple, remove the buffet! GWR have shown the way by introducing new 5 car no buffet DMUs on allegedly intercity services.
 

SaveECRewards

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I've been told by two sources that the launch of the system has been delayed until October as the testing hasn't been going well.

If this is true I'd say my lack of confidence in VTEC to deliver anything to do with technology was justified. It would be a shame though as it has features other reservation systems don't have.

There's currently a lot of rumours flying around VTEC so it is possible my two sources have both heard the same thing, if it is definitely true I should find out more in the coming days.

Talking of electronic reservations I was on GWR yesterday, the first time I'd reserved a seat on the 800 and the electronic reservations were not working so it seems issues with these systems aren't limited to VTEC.
 

Bletchleyite

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I still favour the "keep it simple" option of just marking reserved/unreserved coaches/areas and not placing individual reservations. It's much easier to get one these days, and could be made easier still e.g. at TVMs.
 

staticsteve

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This maybe be a naive question, but do the conductors do a ticket check after every station on these services?

If so, wouldn't it make sense for the conductors to mark each seat as taken or vacanct at that time?

That's the system I've seen in Japan.
 

lincolnshire

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Above my seat yesterday on LNER the display was showing coming soon and Virgin Trains and was same on a few more, but most did say coming soon.
Virgins last laugh then over LNER ( they don,t get rid of this easy
 

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SaveECRewards

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Above my seat yesterday on LNER the display was showing coming soon and Virgin Trains and was same on a few more, but most did say coming soon.
Virgins last laugh then over LNER ( they don,t get rid of this easy

I think seeing Virgin logos on the units after the LNER takeover could be a clue as to why they have yet to be put into service. The units are battery operated and connected wirelessly it looks like some of the units aren't receiving their updates. They actually started removing the Virgin Trains logos before the switchover.
 

lincolnshire

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When I took the picture on Saturday it was the first time that I had seen anything other than the bar codes that was been displayed on them.
It may be Virgin,s last laugh that they can,t get rid of the Virgin Logo and put in LNER instead, it also may be that they will never work as well as someone might have put some gremlins into them as they are no longer required.
 

transmanche

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It may be Virgin,s last laugh that they can,t get rid of the Virgin Logo and put in LNER instead, it also may be that they will never work as well as someone might have put some gremlins into them as they are no longer required.
Why would someone who worked for VTEC try to 'sabotage' the employer they were transferring across to, LNER? This idea of "Virgin's last laugh" seems to be a conspiracy theory too far...
 

PeterC

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How's about when someone goes to the buffet?

It seems a solution looking for a problem, really, when I think it would be genuinely better just to mark some coaches as reserved and some as unreserved and just make reservations really easy to get right up to travel.
I was on a train once where a passenger went to the buffet before departure and returned to find his bag in the rack and somebody else in his seat.

With regard to short formations, portion working etc I am afraid that my experience of IT projects in several sectors (not railway) tells me that somebody in management will insist that any possible alternative scenario that complicates things will never happen. System goes in not overly late or overly over budget and boss is off with his bonus and brownie points on his CV before it all falls on its face.
 

lincolnshire

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Why would someone who worked for VTEC try to 'sabotage' the employer they were transferring across to, LNER? This idea of "Virgin's last laugh" seems to be a conspiracy theory too far...
Why does some people have to be so serious in life it was mean,t as a little joke, also the company who supplied them and programmed most likely will be only a contractor to as it was Virgin East Coast. We will all see when they start working, so when will that be then?
 

transmanche

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Why does some people have to be so serious in life it was mean,t as a little joke
It was the second time you'd made exactly the same 'joke' in this thread. :rolleyes:

If you have to keep repeating it, it's probably not funny...
 

lincolnshire

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It was the second time you'd made exactly the same 'joke' in this thread. :rolleyes:

If you have to keep repeating it, it's probably not funny...
Well it amused me its a pity that some in here have to be so serious in life. We are not at work now its a forum where people can discuss things and within reason say what they think and everyone decides accordingly. Its everyones forum not just a few who always think they know best.
 

Bletchleyite

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The units have e-ink displays which use little power and should last years between battery changes.

Isn't the wifi (or whatever they use to communicate) itself going to drain the batteries? I have a wireless burglar alarm with battery powered sensors and I'm forever replacing the batteries in them.
 

janahan

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They probably (just an educated guess) use Bluetooth LE, which is fundamentally different to standard Bluetooth, which uses very low power. It probably uses a combination of push, as well as a very infrequent poll (if needed) to again reduce current usage.

Compareing to having every single unit wired for power (at which point it may also be better to wire up singlaling too), which may cost more. IT may have been decided its cheaper in the long run to power of a battery cell, and simply replace the battery every 1 - 2 years
 

Bletchleyite

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That is a good point. My alarm system is quite a bit older and predates Bluetooth LE - I wonder if when I replace it (the controller screen is starting to malfunction so this may not be far off) newer systems may well get a better life due to such technology development.
 

westv

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Usually I check RTT, go to the platform and then check to see if the reservation tickets are out. If they are, I jump aboard and make sure my reservation is there so I know it is the right service. If they aren't I wait.
Once this new way becomes the norm I'll have to jump on the service first to check and in the meantime there'll be a period of "Are the tickets not yet out or is it the new type of reservation?".
 

lincolnshire

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I would rather the stuck to the paper seat reservations myself as best think about them is as the train is pulling in the platform when it slowed down you can quickly scan the labels through the windows to make a judgement on how many un-reserved seats is available in that coach or quickly move down the platform to another coach. Once inside the coach you can also quickly scan the seat tops for labels to see how many free un-reserved seats are available. I never usually have a reserved seat on the trains I travel on. Keep the Paper Labels, no batteries to go flat, no bluetooth problems and even work without any electricity ( except for the printer to print them out)
 

SaveECRewards

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Eventually the electronic reservations will be much better than paper. It should be possible for apps that show the actual occupation of the train (seats filled and actual reservations) so you know where to go in the train. It should allow you to reserve a genuinely unoccupied seat at short notice. If your booked train is cancelled it could reserve you a seat on the next service with available seating.

There's a lot of potential of this, although I do think at the beginning most people will prefer paper until the software to utilise this potential is there.

It will eventually be a lot more useful than the systems implemented on other trains.

I just hope they have catered for all the scenarios including short forms, set swaps, etc. Also including when the decision may be made at the last moment to move reservations (such as aircon failing, but another carriage is unreserved).
 

JaJaWa

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Eventually the electronic reservations will be much better than paper. It should be possible for apps that show the actual occupation of the train (seats filled and actual reservations) so you know where to go in the train. It should allow you to reserve a genuinely unoccupied seat at short notice. If your booked train is cancelled it could reserve you a seat on the next service with available seating.

There's a lot of potential of this, although I do think at the beginning most people will prefer paper until the software to utilise this potential is there.

It will eventually be a lot more useful than the systems implemented on other trains.

I just hope they have catered for all the scenarios including short forms, set swaps, etc. Also including when the decision may be made at the last moment to move reservations (such as aircon failing, but another carriage is unreserved).
Should be available in the coming months – https://www.railwaygazette.com/news...-action-plan-aims-to-help-tech-companies.html
 
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