BBC Article on Seat Reservations

[The Prisoner]

Front page of BBC website.

Lady travelling with three children got on a XC service and an old couple refused to move from one half of the table she had booked. She was pregnant and stood to be near her children. Train manager upgraded them to first.

The matter was dealt with, and in my experience a TM is powerless to move a customer who simply refuses regardless of whatever bye laws are in place.

I do always have a slight fear when booking with my family that I'm going to be met with this. Travel frequently from Cheshire up to Cumbria and invariably I get the Stella brigade camped in my seat, but I've never had a problem as people have always politely moved (maybe as I have smaller children with me).

I do wonder if other seats were available etc, but I have witnessed customers refusing to move, especially when the service is disrupted

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50187528

...when Amanda and her family - with luggage for a week's holiday - clambered through the packed carriage, they soon saw their reserved seats were partly occupied by an older couple.

"There was another gentleman sitting at the table who realised it was our seats and got up very quickly, but I could see the woman sort of whisper to her husband when she realised we were on our way."

"I said 'I think you're sitting in our seats,'" Amanda recalls. "She looked at me and said 'that's not how it works, we can sit anywhere we want.....

 

[Failed Unit]

I find the biggest conflict are when the reservations are not set out but people still expect them to apply. Or following cancelled trains. “I had a reservation but they cancelled my train- tough you can stand.” This happened many times to me in the Hull Trains disruption.

I have noticed people occupying reserved seats on LNER has got significantly worse since the electronic displays were introduced. Maybe people don’t understand them or know where to look. Fortunately lots of alternative seats have existed, but many refuse to move.

I generally feel electronic reservations are worthless unless you are getting on at the starting point. I have seen passengers just chuck paper ones in the bin.
Not sure what can be done about it, without everyone having a reserved seat which is impossible on a walk up railway. (Where cancellations/delays force changes to traffic plans.)

 

[GusB]

There is already a thread discussing this:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...to-move-out-of-clearly-reserved-seats.193947/

 

[transmanche]

There is already a thread discussing this:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...to-move-out-of-clearly-reserved-seats.193947/

That thread has been closed...

 

[Darandio]

That thread has been closed...

Which probably puts this one on dodgy ground.

 

[JaMa9]

Enshrined in law yet can't be enforced, so what's the point of allowing people to reserve then? This only leads way to altercations between customers if nothing can be done. So now everyone knows they just remain seated in someone else's seat and don't have to move basically. Nice tip.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Enshrined in law yet can't be enforced, so what's the point of allowing people to reserve then? This only leads way to altercations between customers if nothing can be done. So now everyone knows they just remain seated in someone else's seat and don't have to move basically. Nice tip.

If the guard alone is now powerless to enforce things on trains, time for a "rentathug" also to be provided to protect them while doing so?

 

[Master29]

What`s wrong with a penalty for people who do this. Just give the bXggers a ticket as you would a penalty fare.