Seat reservations to be scrapped entirely?

[ValleyLines142]

Hello, haven't been on here for a while as I'm busy in uni and I'm on other forums now but I was on a train two weeks ago and the conductor said that seat reservations were going be scrapped altogether from the National Rail network. Is this true?! I certainly hope not, especially if I was making a long-distance journey up to Scotland say. I wouldn't be guaranteed a seat, and I may have to stand for part of the journey and move around all the time! It would be a nightmare surely?!

Just wondered whether said rumours were true and what everyone's opinions were on the matter. It'd be interesting to see how trains would cope! They'd probably be in more turmoil then they are now!!

 

[CC 72100]

Hello, haven't been on here for a while as I'm busy in uni and I'm on other forums now but I was on a train two weeks ago and the conductor said that seat reservations were going be scrapped altogether from the National Rail network. Is this true?! I certainly hope not, especially if I was making a long-distance journey up to Scotland say. I wouldn't be guaranteed a seat, and I may have to stand for part of the journey and move around all the time! It would be a nightmare surely?!

Just wondered whether said rumours were true and what everyone's opinions were on the matter. It'd be interesting to see how trains would cope! They'd probably be in more turmoil then they are now!!

In the real world, no chance, surely. Would be a completely barmy idea. Would put a fair proportion of people off travelling long distances - who would want to try their luck when using XC or play 'scramble for the seats' on a service out of the capital?

Really can't see that happening at all, would hardly make train travel very appealing knowing that even if you do book 12 weeks in advance, you may not get a seat anyway!

 

[rebmcr]

Plus how would APEX work?

 

[Qwerty133]

Hello, haven't been on here for a while as I'm busy in uni and I'm on other forums now but I was on a train two weeks ago and the conductor said that seat reservations were going be scrapped altogether from the National Rail network. Is this true?! I certainly hope not, especially if I was making a long-distance journey up to Scotland say. I wouldn't be guaranteed a seat, and I may have to stand for part of the journey and move around all the time! It would be a nightmare surely?!

Just wondered whether said rumours were true and what everyone's opinions were on the matter. It'd be interesting to see how trains would cope! They'd probably be in more turmoil then they are now!!

More chance of Virgin wanting to operate FCC (than for this to happen)

 

[ainsworth74]

Plus how would APEX work?

The same as they do on existing TOCs that don't have seat reservations. You'd get a coupon telling you which train you were booked on but with the seat and coach starred out as you don't have a reserved seat.

 

[yorksrob]

It would make sense to just offer reservations for those that request them rather than having them for all AP's.

 

[wintonian]

Perhaps they will reinvent the wheel and start charging to all seat reservations including advances which as has been noted upstream are not necessary to continue the concept.

Or maybe what the guard said/ thought was as a result of Chinese whispers and their TOC are only considering abolishing them for example.

 

[laphroaig]

I have to admit, personally I would love it if this were true, there's nothing worse than being confronted with a sea of reservation labels when trying to find a decent seat.

Well, I can dream, no way this would happen, would be great for people like me who can move quickly / know which bit of the train to head for etc. but what about, elderly or less mobile passengers who are less familiar with rail travel, I think not having a guaranteed seat would seriously discourage them from travelling by train at all.

 

[Bungle73]

I have to admit, personally I would love it if this were true, there's nothing worse than being confronted with a sea of reservation labels when trying to find a decent seat.

Why can't you just obtain your own reservation, instead of everyone losing out and it becoming a free for all?

 

[455driver]

Maybe the fact that nobody (with a reservation) seems to take up their reserved seat is the reason for this?
How often do people post about doing just that on here?

Maybe in future you will be reserved to a train (as several TOCs do already) but if you want a reserved seat then you pay extra, seems reasonable to me.

 

[wintonian]

Why can't you just obtain your own reservation, instead of everyone losing out and it becoming a free for all?

Possibly because you can't just arrive at a station buy a ticket and reservation at the same time and then hop on the next train?

Thats my MO anyway and SWT don't do them any more nor do Southern so only an issue if I end up on XC or FGW.

 

[Bungle73]

Maybe the fact that nobody (with a reservation) seems to take up their reserved seat is the reason for this?
How often do people post about doing just that on here?

"Nobody" takes their reserved seat? And you base this comment on that one or two people on here choose to sit in a different seat? I'm quite sure that most people sit in their assigned seat.

Maybe in future you will be reserved to a train (as several TOCs do already) but if you want a reserved seat then you pay extra, seems reasonable to me.

Reasonable? How is it "reasonable" to start charging for something that is currently free, and for no good reason?

Possibly because you can't just arrive at a station buy a ticket and reservation at the same time and then hop on the next train?

Thats my MO anyway and SWT don't do them any more nor do Southern so only an issue if I end up on XC or FGW.

Why should we change the system to benefit a few people who turn up at the last minute versus people who have booked maybe months in advance?

I see nothing wrong with the way the system is now.

 

[andykn]

Why should we change the system to benefit a few people who turn up at the last minute versus people who have booked maybe months in advance?

I see nothing wrong with the way the system is now.

Because the people who pay the most then don't necessarily get a seat.

 

[455driver]

] Why should we change the system to benefit a few people who turn up at the last minute versus people who have booked maybe months in advance?

Because that evens it up for everyone and is fair, you get to the station first and get a seat, you dont you wont!

I appreciate that on busy routes and mid journey then it isnt fair on families etc but if they weant extra then they pay for it!

] I see nothing wrong with the way the system is now.

As you normally use the cheapest advance tickets AND a reserved seat you wouldnt would you!
I am sure a person who has just bought a walk up ticket for the same journey at 5 times the price of your ticket would disagree with you.
Andykn has hit the nail on the head.

 

[Bungle73]

Because the people who pay the most then don't necessarily get a seat.

But they wouldn't be in an any better position if reservations were abolished. It's just that everyone would loose out then.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

As you normally use the cheapest advance tickets AND a reserved seat you wouldnt would you!
Andykn has hit the nail on the head.

Yes, but I've booked three months in advance! I've had this argument before.

 

[455driver]

I've had this argument before.

I wonder why? :roll:

 

[Bungle73]

I wonder why? :roll:

I don't know what you're rolling your eyes at me for......

It seems to me certain people want reservations abolished out of spite, and because they can't be bothered to obtain their own reservations and are jealous of people who did take the effort to get one

Abolishing reservations would be to the detriment of most people.

 

[wintonian]

Why should we change the system to benefit a few people who turn up at the last minute versus people who have booked maybe months in advance?

I see nothing wrong with the way the system is now.

Erm, that is the situation in most of the south east today (where most people do just turn up) and SWT for one have changed their system to reflect that.

 

[Qwerty133]

Because that evens it up for everyone and is fair, you get to the station first and get a seat, you dont you wont!

I appreciate that on busy routes and mid journey then it isnt fair on families etc but if they weant extra then they pay for it!
.

If a way to make first at station = first on board can be found at unstaffed can be found it would be fair.
But currently the people who board at the end of first nearest to standard and walk through take most the seats and to make it worse its the same k***heads day in day out, so why should people who are happy to break the NRCOC get the best seats?

 

[route:oxford]

It seems to me certain people want reservations abolished out of spite, and because they can't be bothered to obtain their own reservations and are jealous of people who did take the effort to get one.

Even Squeezyjet have introduced seat reservations.

 

[Bungle73]

Erm, that is the situation in most of the south east today (where most people do just turn up) and SWT for one have changed their system to reflect that.

A train where one spends less than an hour on is a bit different from an Intercity train where one is usually travelling for a long time and can be very busy.

No one has come up with a good reason to scrap reservations, and "I haven't got a reservation so no one else should have one" is not it.

 

[ainsworth74]

Maybe the fact that nobody (with a reservation) seems to take up their reserved seat is the reason for this?

Then stop forcing me to have one when I buy an advance ticket or allow me to pick where I sit when I'm forced to get a seat reservation.

 

[wintonian]

A train where one spends less than an hour on is a bit different from an Intercity train where one is usually travelling for a long time and can be very busy.

I have never spent less than an hour travelling from Southampton/ Fareham to Brighton, Basingstoke to Exeter St Davids or when going down to Weymouth or Gatwick.

In fact I just turned up at Brighton station yesterday and got on the Bristol Temple Meads service without a reservation - belive that takes a little more than 1 hour.

 

[Bungle73]

If a way to make first at station = first on board can be found at unstaffed can be found it would be fair.
But currently the people who board at the end of first nearest to standard and walk through take most the seats and to make it worse its the same k***heads day in day out, so why should people who are happy to break the NRCOC get the best seats?

What? How does walking through the train guarantee a better seat versus walking along the platform, and what does that have to do with reservations?

 

[wintonian]

What? How does walking through the train guarantee a better seat versus walking along the platform, and what does that have to do with reservations?

You say you are from Kent, however you seem quite unfamiler with travel in the south east.

 

[455driver]

Then stop forcing me to have one when I buy an advance ticket or allow me to pick where I sit when I'm forced to get a seat reservation.

You wont get a seat reservation on SWT or Southern (for 2), you will however get a train reservation!

 

[Bungle73]

You say you are from Kent, however you seem quite unfamiler with travel in the south east.

I'm not sure how you worked out that I am "unfamiliar", or what that comment has to do with the post you quoted. Also I'm not sure why you think IC trains on long busy routes should be treated the same as local trains.

I'm still waiting for a good reason.

 

[andykn]

But they wouldn't be in an any better position if reservations were abolished. It's just that everyone would loose out then.

Yes they would, they'd have a far greater choice of seats.

 

[Captain Chaos]

One of the biggest problems I tend to find especially on busy services with Seat Reservations is that quite often people do not sit in the seat they reserved. Not a massive problem on a quiet train. But more often than not you will find people look at the seat reservation and not sit in the seat because it is reserved even though the person has either not turned up or sat somewhere else instead! So you have someone standing from Paddington to Reading when they could actually occupy that seat because the person who reserved it from Paddington has sat in an unreserved one anyway.

Quick question regarding Season Ticket holders reserving seats. I understand this is possible. Is there a limit as to how many seats can be reserved? Or can they reserve as many as they want? If so couldn't this result in passengers reserving seats on the trains either side of their intended service and exacerbating things further?

 

[dcsprior]

I think that if reservations were scrapped on long-distance services it would result in some of the customers which rail has won from air travel moving back - which would benefit no-one in the long term.

However, I'd have nothing against something like:

• You were charged the greater of £5/10% per reservation
• You could reserve by text/web up to the minute the train was due. I've yet to see a good way of displaying reservations electronically, but I'm sure it can be done well with sufficient effort.
• If you turned up and used your reservation (e.g. you texted in a pseudo-random code from the electronic reservation) seat, you'd get your reservation charge back.
• Similarly, if you cancel your reservation then you'd get your reservation charge back.

As an aside, one thing that may make it worse at present is that some booking systems force you to make a seat-reservation, even when on an open ticket: If I'm booking travel for work (I mean travel that work is paying for rather than journeys to/from work) I have to use a HRG's website, and you can't book a ticket through that without specifying a service which generates a reservation if its a reservable service.