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Compulsory Reservations- Poll

Do you agree or disagree with the introduction of compulsory reservations on Inter-City trains?

  • Agree

  • Disagree

  • Indifferent


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Wallsendmag

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I’m sure our web support and social media team will be glad to know that they’re not there to help customers. To be honest the swap to RARS2 has been much smoother than the swap from CRS to NRS that was a Christmas to forget.
 
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Adam Williams

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All reservations, whether made online, over the phone or in person, will be using the same system at the end of the day. There is nothing in either system that suggested it would be unavailable to staff if a company so desired. Perfectly plausible for a TOC requiring CR to have a staffed terminal at the info desk or travel centre at the London terminus, Birmingham New Street or Leeds, for those who haven't been able to make a reservation or made a mistake in their online form.

This is exactly what I was going to say - it's just the underlying system and there's nothing to say it couldn't be used/supported by booking office staff in addition to whatever other interfaces are offered to customers.

FAQ's are time consuming annoying and often don't have 'your' problem listed. Time wasted for no result. Real staff in front of you are the only system that works efficiently and smoothly.

I'd argue well-built systems can be a great deal more efficient than speaking to staff :P
 

takno

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I'd argue well-built systems can be a great deal more efficient than speaking to staff :P
That may be true, but just walking onto the first train that arrives and plonking yourself down can be more efficient than either of those options
 

miami

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Perfectly plausible for a TOC requiring CR to have a staffed terminal at the info desk or travel centre at the London terminus, Birmingham New Street or Leeds, for those who haven't been able to make a reservation or made a mistake in their online form.

Seems like a great way to generate busywork to keep the bloated rail industry draining money from the public purse to solve a problem that doesn't exist
 

zwk500

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Seems like a great way to generate busywork to keep the bloated rail industry draining money from the public purse to solve a problem that doesn't exist
I don't personally support CR, for that very reason. I'd prefer a 'reserved only' coach (first class/standard premium?), but unreserved areas on the same trains so people don't have to worry. But the post you've quoted was responding to a suggestion that a new reservation system would prevent staff being able to support reservations, which is not the case.
 

Fyldeboy

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I have kept out of this - but here goes for a contradictory opinion <(

I personally feel that there is no problem with Intercity services (like LNER that triggered this thread/opus) being CR. That way, those who have paid a significant fare for a long-distant journey are assured not only a seat, but a more relaxed (long) journey and, where applicable, the trolley will be able to get through to offer the service they deserve. Exceptions could be made for specific trains where they run along commuter lines that don't have a local service. How much they pay is irrelevant - the subject of fares and discounts is a different subject, in the hands of the shareholders in the case of the latter.
 

STINT47

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I personally feel that there is no problem with Intercity services (like LNER that triggered this thread/opus) being CR.

The problem is that most intercity trains also carry local passengers at some point during the journey.

I live in Nottingham and often travel to Derby and Loughborough by train. Derby is served by cross country and Loughborough by EMR intercity. With both journeys being short I usually dont know the exact time I will be going and certainly don't know the exact time I'll be coming back.

Both routes have local EMR services but if I cant get on the Intercity trains this restricts my options and I doubt the fare will be lowered to reflect this.
 

takno

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I have kept out of this - but here goes for a contradictory opinion <(

I personally feel that there is no problem with Intercity services (like LNER that triggered this thread/opus) being CR. That way, those who have paid a significant fare for a long-distant journey are assured not only a seat, but a more relaxed (long) journey and, where applicable, the trolley will be able to get through to offer the service they deserve. Exceptions could be made for specific trains where they run along commuter lines that don't have a local service. How much they pay is irrelevant - the subject of fares and discounts is a different subject, in the hands of the shareholders in the case of the latter.
Okay, but one of the main reasons I'm willing to pay a premium is because I can be more or less certain of turning up at the station whenever I want and being on the very next train. I don't mind a risk of standing, and I couldn't care less about the buffet trolley with the lukewarm drinks. I do, however, need to be on that train, otherwise I might as well fly or drive
 

Hadders

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Warrington to Wigan
Didcot to Swindon
Retford to Grantham
Newark to Doncaster
Kettering to Market Harborough

Are a few examples of local journeys which are provided by ‘inter-city’ services as part of a longer journey.

Should mandatory reservations be required to make local journeys such as these?
 

david1212

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I have kept out of this - but here goes for a contradictory opinion <(

I personally feel that there is no problem with Intercity services (like LNER that triggered this thread/opus) being CR. That way, those who have paid a significant fare for a long-distant journey are assured not only a seat, but a more relaxed (long) journey and, where applicable, the trolley will be able to get through to offer the service they deserve. Exceptions could be made for specific trains where they run along commuter lines that don't have a local service. How much they pay is irrelevant - the subject of fares and discounts is a different subject, in the hands of the shareholders in the case of the latter.

The balance is making a proportion of seats reservable for those who can plan ahead and buy a full walk-on fare ticket i.e. Anytime or Saver ticket depending on the time of day.

Okay, but one of the main reasons I'm willing to pay a premium is because I can be more or less certain of turning up at the station whenever I want and being on the very next train. I don't mind a risk of standing, and I couldn't care less about the buffet trolley with the lukewarm drinks. I do, however, need to be on that train, otherwise I might as well fly or drive

Rail must never remove the option to buy either an Anytime or Saver ticket depending on the time of day then travel on the next train.

ok.


Those that pay the most are the ones least likely to have a reservation.

As I've posted before discounted tickets should never have a reservation nor be available on trains that normally run close to or beyond capacity.
 

greyman42

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A member of staff in the Cheltenham ticket office, yesterday informed me that compulsory reservations on XC were done away with months ago.
 

al78

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As I've posted before discounted tickets should never have a reservation nor be available on trains that normally run close to or beyond capacity.

That is the catch of a discounted ticket, you sacrifice flexibility for a lower price. Otherwise, why pay full price? Perhaps what you mean is an advance ticket should be restricted to a specific train, but not have a reserved seat on that train. I agree it makes little sense to have discounted tickets on trains that are near rammed full, I thought the idea is to encourage those who can, to choose less busy trains to travel on i.e. spreading the load.
 

Bletchleyite

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A member of staff in the Cheltenham ticket office, yesterday informed me that compulsory reservations on XC were done away with months ago.

They are still in the database as that, but I expect they've gone more like Avanti in that they just won't sell any more tickets online (or at a planner-based TVM or on your phone) if the train shows as full, but you can still turn up and buy a walk-up at the station (other than from Glasgow Central, it seems). It only seems to be LNER who have gone SNCF-style strict on it.
 

david1212

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That is the catch of a discounted ticket, you sacrifice flexibility for a lower price. Otherwise, why pay full price? Perhaps what you mean is an advance ticket should be restricted to a specific train, but not have a reserved seat on that train. I agree it makes little sense to have discounted tickets on trains that are near rammed full, I thought the idea is to encourage those who can, to choose less busy trains to travel on i.e. spreading the load.

Yes exactly what I mean, just ambiguously worded.
 

Bletchleyite

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Advances should not be sold on trains known not to have spare seats, so there is no sense in not offering a reservation with them. The problem is that they are being sold on trains which are known to carry standing loads - yes, you, LM/LNR.
 

Grumbler

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I have kept out of this - but here goes for a contradictory opinion <(

I personally feel that there is no problem with Intercity services (like LNER that triggered this thread/opus) being CR. That way, those who have paid a significant fare for a long-distant journey are assured not only a seat, but a more relaxed (long) journey and, where applicable, the trolley will be able to get through to offer the service they deserve. Exceptions could be made for specific trains where they run along commuter lines that don't have a local service. How much they pay is irrelevant - the subject of fares and discounts is a different subject, in the hands of the shareholders in the case of the latter.
And what happens if you miss the service you are booked on not because of any fault of your own but because of a delay or cancellation of a connecting service? Do you tell a person with a ticket from Norwich to Edinburgh that they must rebook on a later service or go home rather than wait at Peterborough for the next service?
 

Mainline421

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They are still in the database as that, but I expect they've gone more like Avanti in that they just won't sell any more tickets online (or at a planner-based TVM or on your phone) if the train shows as full, but you can still turn up and buy a walk-up at the station (other than from Glasgow Central, it seems). It only seems to be LNER who have gone SNCF-style strict on it.
This has been the case since they were introduced on both XC and Avanti.
 

Bletchleyite

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And what happens if you miss the service you are booked on not because of any fault of your own but because of a delay or cancellation of a connecting service? Do you tell a person with a ticket from Norwich to Edinburgh that they must rebook on a later service or go home rather than wait at Peterborough for the next service?

I believe SNCF deal with this by having "strapontins", i.e. tip-up seats in the vestibule, into which they "overbook" in the event of disruption.
 

father_jack

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A member of staff in the Cheltenham ticket office, yesterday informed me that compulsory reservations on XC were done away with months ago.
Not the case according to retail briefings. More aggro for the clerks who try do the job correctly then.
 

Fisherman80

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Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere,but as the country opens up has there been any news regarding LNER doing away with compulsory reservations?
 

Peter Mugridge

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Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere,but as the country opens up has there been any news regarding LNER doing away with compulsory reservations?
LNER recently tweeted that the compulsory reservations would be remaining at least for a while after the 21st June - see my linked post below on the LNER reservations thread.

 
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