GWR Seat Reservations and Train Formations

[Hadders]

i’m travelling on the 10:33 from Paddington to Bristol. I travelled on the same train last Saturday.

Both journeys the train (a HST both times) has been in reverse formation and both weeks no seat reservations have been placed either. There was more than sufficient time to put out the reservations.

Have I just been unlucky or have GWR got a wider issue?

 

[thelongestroad]

They have a problem. The IETs are supposed to have digital reservations, but most of the time they don't work, but they don't always put out paper reservations. Equally, nobody really knows which trains reservations are supposed to be in the "system" as 9 or 10 car IETs or HSTs. So half the time the reservations are wrong or are missing coaches.

 

[Hadders]

I guessed that would be the issue. To be fair to the guard he did announce that all seat reservations were cancelled but that didn’t stop passengers trying to ‘claim their seat’.

 

[Richard Knight]

Just had a mid-week break in Bristol, travelled by IEP both ways from Reading. No seat reservations on both services, many bemused and upset passengers. Announcement stating that there were no reservations on the way out but only after 10 minutes or so. On the way back the TM needed prompting to make an announcement, apparently due to an extra stop at Keynsham requiring his full attention.
Won't bother making another journey until it settles down in a couple of years.

 

[PHILIPE]

Very often when people Tweet GWR about overcrowding, they are asked if they had booked a seat and, if not, GWR recommend they reserve a seat so as to guarantee one. Now we go on to the thread title.......

 

[CMRail]

They have a problem. The IETs are supposed to have digital reservations, but most of the time they don't work, but they don't always put out paper reservations. Equally, nobody really knows which trains reservations are supposed to be in the "system" as 9 or 10 car IETs or HSTs. So half the time the reservations are wrong or are missing coaches.

Most work now, or at least the ones that have had mods done. Drivers often forgot to connect them to the TMS for the route planned as well, hence they sometimes only turn on at Swindon. All the 802s work and all but 2 9car IET ones work.

 

[matt]

I travelled to Hereford on a 800. No reservations shown. My reservation didn't exist anyway as it was for a HST seat.

 

[cactustwirly]

I travelled to Hereford on a 800. No reservations shown. My reservation didn't exist anyway as it was for a HST seat.

What seat was it?

 

[matt]

Seat L 1

 

[Hadders]

So seat reservations on today’s 1830 from Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington either. This was an 800.

 

[Mag_seven]

So seat reservations on today’s 1830 from Bristol Temple Meads to Paddington either. This was an 800.

There were also no seat reservations on the 17.29 Swansea Padd tonight (HST). We did pass a couple of Class 800s travelling in the opposite direction that I could see had manual paper seat reservation cards on them.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

I think I’m correct in saying if the booked formation isn’t adhered to then by default the reservations don’t work. This is currently being exacerbated by the Bristol Parkway engineering block causing many diagrams to be changed STP but too late for the advance booking system to take account of the rolling stock changes? (E.g. HST vice 800/10, 800/10 vice 800/9, etc)

 

[ijmad]

Happened again this afternoon, 14:03 London Paddington to Penzance.

I had a printed seat reservation for coach H, which doesn't exist in their HST formation (A-B-C-D-E-K-L). The actual HST had no seat reservations at all. Guard gave the excuse that the train was supposed to be an IEP, but when I checked yesterday on RTT the diagram was listed as an HST, so I'm not sure it really rings true.

Luckily it was a very quiet service, so no problems with people finding seats / sitting together.

 

[CMRail]

Happened again this afternoon, 14:03 London Paddington to Penzance.

I had a printed seat reservation for coach H, which doesn't exist in their HST formation (A-B-C-D-E-K-L). The actual HST had no seat reservations at all. Guard gave the excuse that the train was supposed to be an IEP, but when I checked yesterday on RTT the diagram was listed as an HST, so I'm not sure it really rings true.

Luckily it was a very quiet service, so no problems with people finding seats / sitting together.

Timetabled as HST. Diagramed as IET.

 

[FGW_DID]

Happened again this afternoon, 14:03 London Paddington to Penzance.

I had a printed seat reservation for coach H, which doesn't exist in their HST formation (A-B-C-D-E-K-L). The actual HST had no seat reservations at all. Guard gave the excuse that the train was supposed to be an IEP, but when I checked yesterday on RTT the diagram was listed as an HST, so I'm not sure it really rings true.

Luckily it was a very quiet service, so no problems with people finding seats / sitting together.

14:03 Paddington - Penzance should be part of an 802 2x5 IET diagram but today it was part of an STP HST diagram.

RTT does not show the diagram or booked traction, HST (125 mph) under ‘operational information’ is the timing load.

 

[ijmad]

Timetabled as HST. Diagramed as IET.

14:03 Paddington - Penzance should be part of an 802 2x5 IET diagram but today it was part of an STP HST diagram.

RTT does not show the diagram or booked traction, HST (125 mph) under ‘operational information’ is the timing load.

Thanks for the correction, I had assumed RTT was showing something useful. In that case, story checks out. Still kind of annoying though.

 

[_toommm_]

Thanks for the correction, I had assumed RTT was showing something useful. In that case, story checks out. Still kind of annoying though.

Think we need a sticky thread on this issue!

 

[plymothian]

I get the sense that Paddington have either given up with paper reservations or just don't have the ability to print them any more.

A train originating from the West country will usually have its reservations laid out, and when an HST is diagrammed for an IET, the staff will do their best to re-map the IET layout on to the HST layout and to re-accommodate those that don't exist.

 

[thelongestroad]

Most work now, or at least the ones that have had mods done. Drivers often forgot to connect them to the TMS for the route planned as well, hence they sometimes only turn on at Swindon. All the 802s work and all but 2 9car IET ones work.

Unfortunately my experience is they don't work on most trains! A lot of the time the headcodes won't work either.

 

[thelongestroad]

I actually had reservations working on a 9 car on Friday, but I honestly don't remember the last time they worked.

The whole system is broken and I'm not hearing much from GWR or Hitatchi.

 

[jimm]

The whole system was not broken on Monday or Wednesday last week when I made two journeys on 800s - both sets had fully operational reservation systems - and it was easy to confirm on Monday that it was working as it was supposed to, as card tickets were also placed in the seat backs where appropriate (and the service had started from Paddington).

Whether this means that the latest version of the software is more robust than previous attempts, I don't know.

 

[Parallel]

I used three 800 operated services today in South Wales and none had the reservation system working. One was 2x5 car all in use, one was 2x5 car with only the front unit in use due to shortage of crew and the last was just 1x5 car.

 

[Hadders]

I’m on another GWR Service with no reservations put ou, seems to be happening with increased frequency. Passengers playing musical chairs at every station. Had a word with the guard who’s no making announcements after every station call.

 

[Master29]

I was on 802 101 a couple of weeks ago from Penzance which was pathed as a 2x5 so the reservation system caused all sorts of issues with passengers wondering why there was no coach D.

 

[fgwrich]

Another 2 IET operated journeys today. The first trip was with a pair of 802s - no reservations working. The second is this 803 on the return to Berkshire. Given the thread I think you can guess what’s next, no reservations. I’m beginning to wonder if this system was worth bothering with and if it’s becomming another flashy DFT / Hitachi white elephant. Thankfully there are plenty of seats now (a fair amount left at Taunton) but it does make you wonder what the point of having this system vice paper is if it’s not actually being used.

Also disappointing to see another poorly stocked trolley but that is also for a different story. Just as well I have my water bottle with me.

 

[Hadders]

The train I was on earlier was an HST so it's not just the new stuff....

 

[PHILIPE]

When you look at GWR Twitter Feed almost every post is a complaint regarding no reservations. At the moment there is the HST but that doesn't even work if a substitution for or replaced by IET. Also the various combinations of IETs, pot luck if you get the booked formation.

 

[co-tr-paul]

Word from customer hosts is that its a complete failure at the moment. HST or IEP, reversed, front or rear set; who knows..... ? Even our refurbished sleeper has incorrect reservations both berth and seated.

 

[superalbs]

Word from customer hosts is that its a complete failure at the moment. HST or IEP, reversed, front or rear set; who knows..... ? Even our refurbished sleeper has incorrect reservations both berth and seated.

Can certainly believe that, about three trains in the space of an hour were dud reservations when I was at Paddington just now. My train was regrettably an 802 pair, and of course the screens were broken, but thankfully they actually used paper for my train.

 

[Taunton]

Is it a franchise requirement to offer reservations on their long-distance services? If so, what do DfT have to say about it?

Very often when people Tweet GWR about overcrowding, they are asked if they had booked a seat and, if not, GWR recommend they reserve a seat so as to guarantee one. Now we go on to the thread title.......

Particularly afflicts places like Taunton, well up the line towards Paddington, where the train can arrive from Penzance etc full, people know that for a given train they really need to have a reservation, get on, and then find there is nothing for them.