Seat reservation woes... and being slapped on my shoulder by a GWR Director

[bb21]

Can we stop going around in circles please about which approach is right regarding undisplayed reservations? There is nothing new being put forward which hasn't been discussed to death in numerous previous threads and frankly some of the posts make this place look like a playground.

Anyone wanting to continue this argument please use one of numerous ones on this subject which is still open. All further posts on this "round and round we go" subject will be removed. There never has been consensus on this and I doubt there ever will be. Neither view is more superior than the other.

Now hopefully we can remain on topic regarding the rather serious allegation.

 

[BlockBackBobby]

Cor... you don’t half take your moderator role seriously.

 

[bb21]

I have a job to do and I intend to do it to my best ability.

Now can we move on please.

 

[RogerB]

I've skimmed this thread, but this sort of thing has happened to me twice.

Once when there was no ticket on the seat-back, I can accept that it may have been dislodged, but the other was yesterday on the Glasgow-Euston Virgin service. The indicator above the seat said "Available if Unoccupied" so I sat down. A couple of minutes later a gentleman rolled up with a display on his mobile alleging that this seat was reserved for him. I pointed out that according to the indicator it wasn't reserved for anyone. Coach C as it happens, some were reserved, some weren't

Thankfully we had a civillised discussion without any fisty-cuffs and I suggested he fetch the guard, which he didn't, this got me wondering whether Virgin had messed the reservation up or maybe naughty people are putting fake reservations on their phones to get a seat?

I held the view that I was in the right to refuse to move and it was Virgin's fault. Having had two delays and cancellation on that journey I wasn't in the best of moods

 

[Bletchleyite]

I do wish they'd pack in putting reservations in coach C. It's meant to be unreserved, but apparently some staff are overriding this manually. This causes no end of confusion when the displays have failed.

 

[Saperstein]

Was this a Voyager Or Pendolino? As I always thought coach C was unreserved on a Voyager?

I’ve never understood why they run Voyagers “under the wires” to places like Glasgow when an electric set would suffice.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Was this a Voyager Or Pendolino? As I always thought coach C was unreserved on a Voyager?

It's meant to be unreserved on all VT services, but staff can override it and some annoyingly do. This was a recent change to make things more consistent, so you didn't have to remember what it was for each type of stock.

I’ve never understood why they run Voyagers “under the wires” to places like Glasgow when an electric set would suffice.

There aren't enough Pendolinos to do otherwise.

 

[RogerB]

Was this a Voyager Or Pendolino? As I always thought coach C was unreserved on a Voyager?

I’ve never understood why they run Voyagers “under the wires” to places like Glasgow when an electric set would suffice.

Pendolino. I'm not very well up on train types

 

[duesselmartin]

Slighty OT:
On a GWR service from Paddington to Oxford I noticed that the 800 unit had both electronic and paper reservations in place. Why would that be done?
Martin

 

[Bletchleyite]

Most probably placed because the electronic system wasn't working properly, then they managed to get it to work in the end.