New seat reservation displays on existing LNER trains

[swaldman]

I'm afraid in my mind, electronic reservation systems are heavily associated with "the reservation system isn't working today so there are no reserved seats". Which seems to happen at least a third of the time on Pendalinos and Voyagers, and has left me standing for a long distance journey more than once.

I'm willing to believe that a new system might be better, but I also have trepidation about more TOCs replacing a low-tech system that works with a high-tech one that doesn't.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm afraid in my mind, electronic reservation systems are heavily associated with "the reservation system isn't working today so there are no reserved seats". Which seems to happen at least a third of the time on Pendalinos and Voyagers, and has left me standing for a long distance journey more than once.

I'm willing to believe that a new system might be better, but I also have trepidation about more TOCs replacing a low-tech system that works with a high-tech one that doesn't.

Perhaps it could be fitted to the Voyagers, on which it indeed doesn't work half the time. But on Pendolinos I find it generally reliable - certainly no less so than the placing of paper labels which tended to be given up on as soon as there was a slight delay.

But this faff is precisely why, now reservations are more accessible (and could be made even more so) I support the idea of stopping marking them and instead just having fixed, permanent unreserved coaches.

 

[SaveECRewards]

I'm afraid in my mind, electronic reservation systems are heavily associated with "the reservation system isn't working today so there are no reserved seats". Which seems to happen at least a third of the time on Pendalinos and Voyagers, and has left me standing for a long distance journey more than once.

I'm willing to believe that a new system might be better, but I also have trepidation about more TOCs replacing a low-tech system that works with a high-tech one that doesn't.

I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic. I hope it'll work well before it goes live but as (like most of you on this forum) I have no direct influence I can just give feedback if it doesn't appear to be working well either in testing or once it's gone live.

You also have to remember paper reservations aren't perfect either, often when there's disruption there's no time on the turnaround to put them out and sometimes there's a broken printer.

Hopefully, it will be easy to upload reservations to the system on a tight turnaround. On the other extreme stations such as Waverley often announce boarding well before they do at KGX, I had boarded a train last week at EDB 35 minutes before departure and it was displayed on the board as boarding. We really need the reservations being displayed before boarding is announced.

 

[Jonny]

Sorry if this is

I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic. I hope it'll work well before it goes live but as (like most of you on this forum) I have no direct influence I can just give feedback if it doesn't appear to be working well either in testing or once it's gone live.

You also have to remember paper reservations aren't perfect either, often when there's disruption there's no time on the turnaround to put them out and sometimes there's a broken printer.

Hopefully, it will be easy to upload reservations to the system on a tight turnaround. On the other extreme stations such as Waverley often announce boarding well before they do at KGX, I had boarded a train last week at EDB 35 minutes before departure and it was displayed on the board as boarding. We really need the reservations being displayed before boarding is announced.

Sorry if this is slightly off-topic, but on a tight service turnaround, what about reservation tickets being quietly placed once seats have been taken, behind the seat occupant?

as I saw on what (at the time of writing) was my most recent journey.

 

[mark-h]

Hopefully, it will be easy to upload reservations to the system on a tight turnaround. On the other extreme stations such as Waverley often announce boarding well before they do at KGX, I had boarded a train last week at EDB 35 minutes before departure and it was displayed on the board as boarding. We really need the reservations being displayed before boarding is announced.

With full connectivity it should be possible to update the displays before the train arrives in the station (inbound passengers won't be confused if the reservations for the outbound service appear on the screen 5/10 minutes before they arrive).

 

[Bigfoot]

Seat reservations are working on 1E09 today (ex emt set if it matters)

 

[cuccir]

On my travells with LNER this week the displays have been working, but so far there's been a 'belts and braces' approach with paper tickets on seats too. Not sure if this is a transition phase or if planned for a while.

My one criticism is that reserved seats are displayed as 'Reserved until station', but it doesn't say where the seat was reserved from. Once the paper tickets have gone, this will make it harder to sit in reserved seats that have not been taken by the holder: there's no way of knowing if the seat is reserved from the station at which you're boarding (and therefore there's a good chance that someone will claim it) or if it has been left unoccupied from an earlier station.

 

[Jonny]

On my travells with LNER this week the displays have been working, but so far there's been a 'belts and braces' approach with paper tickets on seats too. Not sure if this is a transition phase or if planned for a while.

My one criticism is that reserved seats are displayed as 'Reserved until station', but it doesn't say where the seat was reserved from. Once the paper tickets have gone, this will make it harder to sit in reserved seats that have not been taken by the holder: there's no way of knowing if the seat is reserved from the station at which you're boarding (and therefore there's a good chance that someone will claim it) or if it has been left unoccupied from an earlier station.

It could also be confusing if there are two reservations that change-over at the same station, a position that I have been in before. Paper reservation tickets have both reservations.

 

[GW43125]

Electronic seat reservations were in use on the 12:30 Edinburgh-Kings X (HST) on Sunday. I also noticed there's a red light next to each display, which lights up when the doors are released and stays on for a couple of minutes after departure. Is this a traffic light type system (as seen on IETs) or just a red light? (My carriage was full throughout so there were no empty seats for me to check this).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Electronic seat reservations were in use on the 12:30 Edinburgh-Kings X on Sunday. I also noticed there's a red light next to each display, which lights up when the doors are released and stays on for a couple of minutes after departure. Is this a traffic light type system (as seen on IETs) or just a red light? (My carriage was full throughout so there were no empty seats for me to check this).

I wonder if releasing the doors triggers a poll?

 

[SaveECRewards]

Electronic seat reservations were in use on the 12:30 Edinburgh-Kings X (HST) on Sunday. I also noticed there's a red light next to each display, which lights up when the doors are released and stays on for a couple of minutes after departure. Is this a traffic light type system (as seen on IETs) or just a red light? (My carriage was full throughout so there were no empty seats for me to check this).

It's a traffic light system, well I've seen red and green so far and amber is supposed to be there for seats that are currently free but reserved later but I've not seen that.

I need to find out the plan for Azuma. As you know with the GWR IETs the sets have their own electronic reservation system and LNER staff who have been on their Azuma sets confirm that these are fitted to theirs. Problem is there's no sensors, I can't imagine LNER developing this solution just for it to be abandoned before they start to use it to their potential.

I've got a feeling LNER are just going to fit these units to their new trains and leave the built in system unused. This seems like a waste and also I think the displays on the built in system are better quality (as they're wired in they don't have to worry about draining battery). A better system would be to fit sensors that work with the built in displays. Does anyone know which approach they're taking?

 

[sheff1]

It's a traffic light system, well I've seen red and green so far and amber is supposed to be there for seats that are currently free but reserved later but I've not seen that.

I witnessed these in action for the first time a couple of days ago and all three colours were in use. Disappointingly, the lights were not visible as I entered the saloon, only as I walked through. On the Belfast-Dublin trains the lights along the whole of the coach can be clearly seen as you enter, making it much easier to spot unreserved seats immediately (or head the other way if there aren't any).

 

[westv]

Displays working on this evening's Executive. Paper tickets as well. No traffic lights yet though.

 

[Metroman62]

Displays were working on 10:33 Kings Cross to Leeds on 17 Aug with paper tickets too. As a visually impaired person I found the displays hard to read. There is no back light on the display and the light above my reserved seat was not working which made it harder to read. As others have said, seeing a paper ticket on a seat means you can quickly see which seats are not reserved. Hopefully picture attached although my phone has made the display look much better than real life

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Displays were working on 10:33 Kings Cross to Leeds on 17 Aug with paper tickets too. As a visually impaired person I found the displays hard to read. There is no back light on the display and the light above my reserved seat was not working which made it harder to read. As others have said, seeing a paper ticket on a seat means you can quickly see which seats are not reserved. Hopefully picture attached although my phone has made the display look much better than real life

Perhaps someone should ask them what reasonable adjustments they're making to accommodate persons with visual impairments such as yourself.

 

[ainsworth74]

From my observation the traffic lights are only on just after door release until shortly after departure. I do think they've missed a trick with the design of the traffic lights as they can only be seen once you're next to them rather than down the length of the carriage.

 

[Metroman62]

Perhaps someone should ask them what reasonable adjustments they're making to accommodate persons with visual impairments such as yourself.

Just for information for a lot of visually impaired people, contrast is as important as font size. So in many ways reading a smaller font on a paper ticket which is black on white can be easier than these displays. Mind you trying to read the print on actual rail tickets with the yellow background, small font and poor printing can be fun!

 

[Roy Badami]

Travelled in 1st on the 1545 from Leeds on Monday, and the displays were working. I was sitting in a solo seat, but of course the devices are designed to display the reservations for two seats. The window seat indicator correctly showed my reservation, and the aisle seat indicator said "coming soon". Make of that what you will!

The traffic light LEDs are fairly bright, and seem to stay on the entire time the doors are unlocked (well, at least from when passengers are allowed to board). Which is significant at termini. I wonder how long the batteries last.

 

[ainsworth74]

The window seat indicator correctly showed my reservation, and the aisle seat indicator said "coming soon". Make of that what you will!

I think that's an error. The ones I've seen where there is no aisle seat have just been blank which makes a whole lot more sense! Then again times are hard so who knows maybe first is going 2+2 and standard 3+2

 

[adamello]

Travelled in 1st on the 1545 from Leeds on Monday, and the displays were working. I was sitting in a solo seat, but of course the devices are designed to display the reservations for two seats. The window seat indicator correctly showed my reservation, and the aisle seat indicator said "coming soon". Make of that what you will!

The traffic light LEDs are fairly bright, and seem to stay on the entire time the doors are unlocked (well, at least from when passengers are allowed to board). Which is significant at termini. I wonder how long the batteries last.

I think that's an error. The ones I've seen where there is no aisle seat have just been blank which makes a whole lot more sense! Then again times are hard so who knows maybe first is going 2+2 and standard 3+2

you're assuming Aisle Seat, The indicator just says Aisle, you'll soon be able to reserve that bit of Carpet next to the solo FC seating