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Virgin have upgraded its seat reservation system

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Baggypants

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And it's struggling.

Lovely comment from the train manager about humans not being allowed to do anything and computers thinking for themselves on the PA. Made me smile.
 
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RJ21

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Great comment, though my favourite was a Northern guard on arrival at Manchester Picc, it was along the lines of 'any items left unattended will be removed by the security services, battered and deep fried'.
 

Deepgreen

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Yesterday morning at Dorking station, the local announcement included; "on behalf of water, I would like to apologise for the disruption to services".
 

Baggypants

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West or East?

West. Apparently the computer thought they were going somewhere else so it repeatedly downloaded the wrong reservations, As it's centrally managed now the onboard crew couldn't tell it the correct route.
 

EssexCommuter

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At least you have the technology that works some of the time. Paper reservation tickets not only take time to put out, but can of course be easily removed.
 

ScouserGirl

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The amount of times I've used Virgin West Coast and the seat reservations don't work it's unreal it ends up being musical seats! This is why technology fails GWR do it the proper way with a ticket in the back of the seat!!
 

Bletchleyite

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The best thing that could be done on trains with electronic displays is clear signage stating that in the event of them not working that reservations either do not apply or that they do. Then there can be no arguments.


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chris89

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The best thing that could be done on trains with electronic displays is clear signage stating that in the event of them not working that reservations either do not apply or that they do. Then there can be no arguments.


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Would also be handy if were on the Platform Service display things as well honestly, or if information was relayed to the Platform staff to give the information.

Gladly though, only been on a handful of VTWC where the system has completely failed, lucky enough after i get on at Edinburgh or Wolverhampton.
 

Bevan Price

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The best thing that could be done on trains with electronic displays is clear signage stating that in the event of them not working that reservations either do not apply or that they do. Then there can be no arguments.

It would also be good if the display text was large enough to read clearly from a distance of several feet.

And also if all Pendolinos were 11 coaches, so that they did not have 9 coach sets appearing on 11 coach diagrams, with a consequential absence of the 2 "unreserved" coaches.
 

All Line Rover

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And also if all Pendolinos were 11 coaches, so that they did not have 9 coach sets appearing on 11 coach diagrams, with a consequential absence of the 2 "unreserved" coaches.

There is no consistency whatsoever with VTWC's diagrams. This is probably because VTWC's top priority is to ensure that services run / run on time, which is perfectly understandable, but it undermines the DfT's assertion that 9 coach sets can be diagrammed to operate quieter services.
 

ag51ruk

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It would also be good if the display text was large enough to read clearly from a distance of several feet.

And also if all Pendolinos were 11 coaches, so that they did not have 9 coach sets appearing on 11 coach diagrams, with a consequential absence of the 2 "unreserved" coaches.

There is always at least one unreserved coach (F) even on 9 coach trains
 

OneOffDave

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There is no consistency whatsoever with VTWC's diagrams. This is probably because VTWC's top priority is to ensure that services run / run on time, which is perfectly understandable, but it undermines the DfT's assertion that 9 coach sets can be diagrammed to operate quieter services.

My service in this morning was a 9 instead of an 11. People were stood in the aisle and vestibules making it impossible to move up and down the train. I was just glad I was getting off at Euston. Had it been an intermediate stop then I wouldn't have been able to get my chair past the crush. It looked like the reservations had failed as the wheelchair space was showing as available despite me booking it.
 

greaterwest

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but work much better than the Virgin or XC reservation screens!

There are also no "Ten Minute Reservations" where paper slips are concerned, so I can actually keep my seat if I happen to find an unreserved one.
 

Bletchleyite

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There are also no "Ten Minute Reservations" where paper slips are concerned, so I can actually keep my seat if I happen to find an unreserved one.

There is no reason there could not be TMR with paper slips. You would simply put a paper slip (or window sticker) in the TMR-able area stating that seats may be reserved and must be given up to those showing evidence of a reservation.

This is precisely how DB do it ("gegebenenfalls reserviert") and have for years.
 

greaterwest

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There is no reason there could not be TMR with paper slips. You would simply put a paper slip (or window sticker) in the TMR-able area stating that seats may be reserved and must be given up to those showing evidence of a reservation.

This is precisely how DB do it ("gegebenenfalls reserviert") and have for years.

There is no reason why not, but TMRs are a scummy thing to have anyway IMO, especially on short trains like Voyagers.
 

Bletchleyite

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There is no reason why not, but TMRs are a scummy thing to have anyway IMO, especially on short trains like Voyagers.

TBH, XC overcrowding has got so bad, and the journey experience so poor, that unless there is willing to invest in the service and extend all Voyager services to at least 8 car, and Turbostar services to at least 5 car, then I would be in support of full compulsory reservation on all XC services.
 

greaterwest

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TBH, XC overcrowding has got so bad, and the journey experience so poor, that unless there is willing to invest in the service and extend all Voyager services to at least 8 car, and Turbostar services to at least 5 car, then I would be in support of full compulsory reservation on all XC services.

I've never had a particularly poor experience on XC, except one time I used the service between Leamington Spa and Birmingham Intl, but that was during the morning peak (about 8am)
 
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