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Scotrail selling tickets LNER won't sell

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Deerfold

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I've just bought a ticket from Fort William to Glasgow for next week.

LNER told me reservations were compulsory but that the service I wanted was sold out.

Scotrail happily sold me a ticket with (non-specific seat) reservations for the same service.

I bought the tickets from Scotrail immediately after being refused by LNER.

Anyone any idea what's going on? I can see this putting some people off travelling (and I was slightly panicked, as I already have my ticket from Glasgow).
 
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Haywain

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LNER told me reservations were compulsory but that the service I wanted was sold out.
Where did LNER tell you this? On a random date next week I can purchase a walk-up ticket for that journey with or without a reservation through the LNER website but it does show that Advance tickets are not available.
 

Deerfold

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What train? Where did you attempt to buy it, the LNER website?
The LNER website.

The 1140 from Fort William.

It allowed me to select the train and ask for a reservation at which point it told me there were no reservations left. I've just tried half a dozen different trains - some work, some give me this (which would be fine if Scotrail didn't then sell me a ticket with reservation):
 

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Haywain

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The LNER website.

The 1140 from Fort William.

It allowed me to select the train and ask for a reservation at which point it told me there were no reservations left. I've just tried half a dozen different trains - some work, some give me this:
But you can buy the ticket without a reservation. The message doesn't say it's sold out or reservation compulsory, and the process allows you to buy the ticket without a reservation.
 

Deerfold

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But you can buy the ticket without a reservation. The message doesn't say it's sold out or reservation compulsory, and the process allows you to buy the ticket without a reservation.
The message it gives strongly suggests I may not be able to travel without a reservation. I wasn't entirely sure which TOCs are requiring reservations (I know my upcoming trip on LNER has a compulsory reservation).

Oddly it seems to have been fixed now, though it was doing the same thing yesterday.
 
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Haywain

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The message it gives strongly suggests I may not be able to travel without a reservation.
A softer 'reservations are not available, continue without' type message would be preferable but you do seem to have read a good bit that isn't actually there.
 

Deerfold

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A softer 'reservations are not available, continue without' type message would be preferable but you do seem to have read a good bit that isn't actually there.
It tells me to pick a different train. Not, "If you want a reservation pick a different train".

The fact remains that they told me reservations had run out, but Scotrail still sold me one.

Given you don't actually reserve a seat, I'm not sure what the point of having a limited number of reservations is, if they're not compulsory.
 

najaB

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Sold me a ticket with a reservation (as I've said in posts #1 and #4).
That's a counted-place reservation. It could be as simple as that LNER's site is set to only offer seat-specific reservations.
 

Deerfold

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That's a counted-place reservation. It could be as simple as that LNER's site is set to only offer seat-specific reservations.
I know that. I've had counted place reservations from LNER before (and now the site seems to be happy to sell them for this service).
 

trainophile

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That's a counted-place reservation. It could be as simple as that LNER's site is set to only offer seat-specific reservations.
I think this may be a bug in LNER's system. Been messaging with a friend earlier today who was unable to buy a Super Off Peak Return on a West Midlands Trains service, using the LNER website as she has an account with them. It wouldn't let her book either with or without reservations. I got the tickets for her straight away on TPE, it had tick boxes for reservations but I had to untick them to proceed to payment, which is hardly surprising as I don't believe WMT even do reservations.
 

Wallsendmag

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I think this may be a bug in LNER's system. Been messaging with a friend earlier today who was unable to buy a Super Off Peak Return on a West Midlands Trains service, using the LNER website as she has an account with them. It wouldn't let her book either with or without reservations. I got the tickets for her straight away on TPE, it had tick boxes for reservations but I had to untick them to proceed to payment, which is hardly surprising as I don't believe WMT even do reservations.
Where was it to/from?
 

Wolfie

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I think this may be a bug in LNER's system. Been messaging with a friend earlier today who was unable to buy a Super Off Peak Return on a West Midlands Trains service, using the LNER website as she has an account with them. It wouldn't let her book either with or without reservations. I got the tickets for her straight away on TPE, it had tick boxes for reservations but I had to untick them to proceed to payment, which is hardly surprising as I don't believe WMT even do reservations.
WMR and LNWR websites offer reservations on their own services. Truthfully not sure what happens if you select them as l never do.
 

Wallsendmag

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I think this may be a bug in LNER's system. Been messaging with a friend earlier today who was unable to buy a Super Off Peak Return on a West Midlands Trains service, using the LNER website as she has an account with them. It wouldn't let her book either with or without reservations. I got the tickets for her straight away on TPE, it had tick boxes for reservations but I had to untick them to proceed to payment, which is hardly surprising as I don't believe WMT even do reservations.
I can book one BHM to EUS without much problem, just the same way by unticking the reservation boxes.
 

trainophile

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Where was it to/from?

Sorry, had logged off last night. Euston to Crewe Super Off Peak Return.

This is from my booking confirmation email. Surprised it's stated as WMT as I would have thought that route would be LNWR, so open to my above details being incorrect.

Departs:London Euston at 10:46
Train Operator:West Midlands Trains
Arrives:Crewe at 12:53
Ticket Type:Super Off-Peak Return
Route:Valid on West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services only.
 

Bletchleyite

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WMR and LNWR websites offer reservations on their own services. Truthfully not sure what happens if you select them as l never do.

They don't offer reservations per-se but counted places. Counted places are not supposed to be issued for walk-up tickets (as that serves no purpose), they exist only for Advance quota purposes (I had hoped, possibly in vain, that the new reservations system might get rid of this and do it properly?)
 

Haywain

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Surprised it's stated as WMT as I would have thought that route would be LNWR, so open to my above details being incorrect
West Midlands Trains is the operator, London Northwestern Railway (LNR - Northwestern is one word) is a brand, alongside West Midlands Railway.
 

Wallsendmag

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They don't offer reservations per-se but counted places. Counted places are not supposed to be issued for walk-up tickets (as that serves no purpose), they exist only for Advance quota purposes (I had hoped, possibly in vain, that the new reservations system might get rid of this and do it properly?)
Thats the operator's choice nothing to do with NRS or RARS2
 

Bletchleyite

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So when my friend gets to Euston she needs to look for a LNR branded train?

I wouldn't look for the branding, as it's all over the place, some are in plain white. But it will be announced as a "London Northwestern Railway service to..."

As a further check it will be 4, 8 or 12 coaches. If it's 5, 9, 10 or 11 it's the wrong one :)
 

trainophile

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I can get that fairy easily.
What, on the LNER website? Well it baffled my friend and she tried for ages before I offered to get them for her on TPE.

I wouldn't look for the branding, as it's all over the place, some are in plain white. But it will be announced as a "London Northwestern Railway service to..."
She's not a very frequent traveller and will be on her own so I want to give her as much guidance as possible. I will text her the platform number off RTT on the day and hope it doesn't get changed.
 
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