LNER Considering Requiring Passengers to Check-in Before Travel

[norbitonflyer]

if you're being spur-of-the-moment your plan isn't important

Or it's an emergency. The most recent time I used a turn up and go fare on LNER was the day my father died.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Are they not? They don't offer Nectar points any more. I thought a new 'thing' was on its way?

I'm not sure what they're planning. I have a NatWest Rewards bank account and LNER are, until today, offering 5% cashback for bookings. That sort of cashback amount is pretty decent, if it sticks around.

As for the original post, I'm always cynical when it comes to the railways, but I see it more as a response to Covid than the thin end of a wedge. Even BR had mandatory reservations when it was needed. The issue really is the ridiculously low capacities available on the railways at present.

 

[317 forever]

Are LNER trawling for data for passenger travel for SHOW/NO-SHOW situations? If LNER have a 100% seat reservation policy as per Air travel, then use the Show/No-show factor to operate a policy of seat overbooking, selling more tickets for travel than the seating capacity of the train and the 'No-shows' cover the overbooking , the Air travel industry have been pulling the stunt for decades.

The trouble with over-selling on the railways assuming a few no-shows is that a few people who do turn up would be sitting too close to eachother given current social distancing requirements. Plus a few other people will get on anyway if they through no fault of their own miss a connection. For example, if they are travelling from Batley to London King's Cross and their train from Batley is delayed or cancelled, they would not agree not to get on their first train from Leeds (which would of course be later than their intended train).

 

[GoneSouth]

LNER currently expect you to reserve, and if you try on the day and there aren't any socially distanced seat reservations left, they expect you not to board. If you're already travelling on one of their trains and you didn't reserve, and there's no availability for you to do so on your phone, you're expected to leave the train at the next station, as per their seat reservation labels. Of course that means little for the journeys of one stop as you suggest.

This all sounds a little intimidating. What would they do if you missed a connection, had to travel on their next available services which then had no space? Would they just tell you to **** off and try again tomorrow?

For example TPE are not known to be super reliable On their Scarborough services which may well have lots of people connecting for a London service at York. Not their fault if something is late. The idea that they could board and are later told to get off half way through a long distance journey because they didn’t have a valid reservation troubles me a lot!

Policies like this will intimidate and stop many from using the railways and make those who don’t have any other option fear every journey.

 

[DorkingMain]

A lot of these measures supposedly done in the name of "customer convenience" are usually done in the name of "operator convenience"

 

[kez19]

This all sounds a little intimidating. What would they do if you missed a connection, had to travel on their next available services which then had no space? Would they just tell you to **** off and try again tomorrow?

For example TPE are not known to be super reliable On their Scarborough services which may well have lots of people connecting for a London service at York. Not their fault if something is late. The idea that they could board and are later told to get off half way through a long distance journey because they didn’t have a valid reservation troubles me a lot!

Policies like this will intimidate and stop many from using the railways and make those who don’t have any other option fear every journey.

What was quoted was that reason I didn’t go to Newcastle as planned (ok I’m not a regular traveller of the service) but this did put me off, for me it’s the fear of being chucked off somewhere I wouldn’t know or trying to find alternative services (split ticketing for now might be my only answer)


I noticed in the Dundee station there is an LNER board saying about reserving a train via website/ticket office and kind of saying no reservations don’t board

 

[Wallsendmag]

Sometimes I read these threads and have a right giggle.

 

[Taunton]

Noticeable how most, if not all, of the "Covid measures" sneaked in are in actual fact ones that the railway has regarded as a nuisance for a long time. Boy, what an opportunity!

Senior citizen passes banned from the Underground in the morning peak - well, TfL senior staff long had a gripe about this (despite themselves having 24 hour free passes of course as part of the job), disliking those over 60 still in work travelling for free.

GWR banning surfboards - always a nuisance, and embarrassing to the IET project as it shows up the incompetent seating layout.

LNER requiring reservations - long desired, to get away from sharing ECML revenue with others, forces more to buy their operator-specific tickets that they don't have to share with others through Orcats, and allows them to push demand around within the day to suit their own cost saving, etc.

 

[Ianno87]

Noticeable how most, if not all, of the "Covid measures" sneaked in are in actual fact ones that the railway has regarded as a nuisance for a long time. Boy, what an opportunity!

Senior citizen passes banned from the Underground in the morning peak - well, TfL staff long had a gripe about this (despite themselves having 24 hour free passes of course as part of the job), disliking those over 60 still in work travelling for free.

GWR banning surfboards - always a nuisance, and embarrassing to the IET project as it shows up the incompetent seating layout.

LNER requiring reservations - long desired, to get away from sharing ECML revenue with others, to allow them to push demand around to suit their own cost saving, etc.

1) These only affect a tiny % of passengers

2) LNER will still share revenue of walk up tickets sold with a seat reservation

 

[Wallsendmag]

Noticeable how most, if not all, of the "Covid measures" sneaked in are in actual fact ones that the railway has regarded as a nuisance for a long time. Boy, what an opportunity!

Senior citizen passes banned from the Underground in the morning peak - well, TfL senior staff long had a gripe about this (despite themselves having 24 hour free passes of course as part of the job), disliking those over 60 still in work travelling for free.

GWR banning surfboards - always a nuisance, and embarrassing to the IET project as it shows up the incompetent seating layout.

LNER requiring reservations - long desired, to get away from sharing ECML revenue with others, forces more to buy their operator-specific tickets that they don't have to share with others through Orcats, and allows them to push demand around within the day to suit their own cost saving, etc.

There is another well know user of the ECML that has in the past barred walkup reservations on it services so that there is plenty of room for it's own Advance products, now that is unfair.

 

[Randomer]

Having read through the thread a simple question occurs to me which I haven't found, or may have missed, a clear answer to.

A passenger holds a ticket or combination of tickets for a journey using another operator and LNER for example Scarborough to London with TPE as the first leg and LNER as the second. The intended itinerary means that the LNER service is the penultimate train available for the journey that day. The first train is delayed meaning catching the reserved LNER service is not possible. Ordinarily you would just catch the next available train consistent with the ticket restrictions i.e. the next LNER service for an LNER advance ticket York-London. What then happens if the passenger cannot get a reservation for the final train of the day from the intermediate station?

Is the position of LNER that the passenger cannot complete there journey and is left stranded at a midway point or are reservations no longer compulsory at that point?

From my standpoint I'm not sure how trying to enforce reservations to a delayed passenger with what would have been a valid itinerary could be compatible with the conditions of travel.

 

[jtuk]

goodness me. They aren't doing that at all. They are trying to run a safe and as attractive as possible service in the current climate. It isn't perfect ( nothing in society is right now) but it is a way to get people onto the trains by convincing them that measures are being taken to protect them, as far as possible, while they are on the train. It is about rebuilding customer confidence in rail as a safe journey option.

For everyone that's put off by rail "not being safe", there's someone that's put off either by the ridiculous restrictions making rail unattractive, or the complete absence of leisure travel reason that also isn't affected by ridiculous restrictions. I can't think of anything I can go and do right now in the same way as I could this time last year.

 

[DarloRich]

For everyone that's put off by rail "not being safe", there's someone that's put off either by the ridiculous restrictions making rail unattractive, or the complete absence of leisure travel reason that also isn't affected by ridiculous restrictions. I can't think of anything I can go and do right now in the same way as I could this time last year.

The world has changed. It isn't the same world as last year. That should be obvious. Pretending otherwise wont help.

BTW - i don't want to book a ticket or wear a mask or carry hand gel but accept that, at the moment, if I want/need to use the train those are the rules I have to follow. I either follow those rules or I stay at home. It seems many here have trouble with that very simple choice.

 

[crablab]

Is the position of LNER that the passenger cannot complete there journey and is left stranded at a midway point or are reservations no longer compulsory at that point?

From my standpoint I'm not sure how trying to enforce reservations to a delayed passenger with what would have been a valid itinerary could be compatible with the conditions of travel.

I'm not entirely clear what weight "mandatory reservations" actually carries. Is travelling on a mandstory reservation service without a valid reservation a bylaw offence, RORA or breaching the CoC?

I would suggest that LNER would be required to communicate you to your final destination, as per the CoC. Since the ultimate train would be considered "full and standing" based on the lack of available reservations and current rules, I pressume they'd have to get you a taxi or something.

 

[DarloRich]

Is the position of LNER that the passenger cannot complete there journey and is left stranded at a midway point or are reservations no longer compulsory at that point?

really quite obviously they will get you a cab if they cant get you on the train.

 

[kez19]

really quite obviously they will get you a cab if they cant get you on the train.

Would they? I would have thought they refund you instead and either you find a place to stay or get back yourself?

I can’t see them if I was travelling somewhere in England to get me back to Scotland

 

[DB]

The world has changed. It isn't the same world as last year. That should be obvious. Pretending otherwise wont help.

BTW - i don't want to book a ticket or wear a mask or carry hand gel but accept that, at the moment, if I want/need to use the train those are the rules I have to follow. I either follow those rules or I stay at home. It seems many here have trouble with that very simple choice.

I don't believe the rules are justified, and if I am travelling for work I often won't know what specific time I'm travelling, so will avoid TOCs who go down this route. If I have to I will use a pool car, but I really would rather not. I'm very pro rail, so if people like me are being pushed away what will it be doing to those who are more ambivalent?

 

[kez19]

The world has changed. It isn't the same world as last year. That should be obvious. Pretending otherwise wont help.

BTW - i don't want to book a ticket or wear a mask or carry hand gel but accept that, at the moment, if I want/need to use the train those are the rules I have to follow. I either follow those rules or I stay at home. It seems many here have trouble with that very simple choice.

Unrelated to LNER but I used Scotrail this week, first time on train since March, experience was OK but on Monday it did feel authoritative on board but tickets on both trains to Glasgow and back to Dundee didn’t get checked and trains were empty but on a positive yesterday it was a bit more relaxed (I do have a bit of confidence to using the train but I think for me using LNER won’t be now to 2021 as now planning Christmas in Glasgow than Newcastle, just think it’s all the problems up this way at moment as in terms of getting tickets with LNER and waiting on line opening up on the outskirts of Stonehaven)

 

[Hadders]

I've travelled on lots of trains since the essential travel only message was dropped, some for work and some for leisure.

Down south the trains are quieter than normal but basically business as usual. No formal restrictions on where to sit but everyone seems to be sensible and spread out.
Northern not a pleasant experience with areas of train out of use for the guard to use. Guards barking at passengers etc. Felt depressing and authoritarian.
LNER and CrossCountry say they are operating mandatory reservations. I've not travelled without a reservation on these services, making use of both LNER web reservation system to book seats a few minutes prior to departure, and CrossCountry's 10 minute reservation system. Just this evening I booked a seat on LNER's 19:06 departure from KGX to SVG a few minutes prior to departure, the confirmation email ws timed at 18:57! Interestingly no-one's ever checked I have a reservation either on boarding or onboard.
Used a couple of EMR Regional services - guards checking tickets.

The issue with LNER and CrossCountry will come when trains reach their capacity and no seats are available to book at short notice. Ordinarily I would just sit in an unreserved seat, take a seat that was reserved by a 'no show' or stand. This isn't an option at present but I do hope we are able to return to a genuine walk on railway very soon.

 

[Taunton]

I don't want to book a ticket or wear a mask or carry hand gel but accept that, at the moment, if I want/need to use the train those are the rules I have to follow. I either follow those rules or I stay at home.

The other option is to take the car. That's a real, walk-on, walk-off, anytime service. Living in central London the train has always been more practical across the country than most, and traditionally I used it far more than my colleagues. But I haven't got in one since March.

Transport for London are still putting radio ads out that if I don't fall into one of their preferred categories (which seems to be "Key Workers" plus schoolchildren) I must walk or cycle. Which are of course quite impractical for the majority of TfL journeys. I do notice there aren't any more bicycles around than there used to be. In fact the people out for an "exercise" bike ride each day around the parks from the early lockdown days seem to have died away too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The other option is to take the car. Living in central London the train has always been more practical across the country than most, and traditionally I used it far more than my colleagues. But I haven't got in one since March.

Yes, I've been avoiding train journeys of more than an hour or so because of the discomfort of mask wearing. That has cost the railway probably about £500-600 so far of journeys I've driven which I would have done by train on walk-up fares.

I've been enjoying it as it's a bit of a change (and I've just got a new car) but I would like to come back at some point, but not while masks are required.

 

[route101]

I booked a LNER advance , Edinburgh to Perth other day ,just a few hours before departure. Was cheaper than normal off peak fare but for that distance, shouldnt be advances.

The service was not busy, but if it was sold out that would be unfair on walk ups.

 

[185143]

I booked a LNER advance , Edinburgh to Perth other day ,just a few hours before departure. Was cheaper than normal off peak fare but for that distance, shouldnt be advances.

The service was not busy, but if it was sold out that would be unfair on walk ups.

Off topic, but I've seen passengers with advance from Manchester to Stockport and East Didsbury recently...

 

[route101]

Off topic, but I've seen passengers with advance from Manchester to Stockport and East Didsbury recently...

Are they part of a longer journey?

 

[dk1]

I've been enjoying it as it's a bit of a change (and I've just got a new car) but I would like to come back at some point, but not while masks are required.

To be honest I recently did Derby-Newton Abbot & Torquay-Norwich wearing a nice cotton mask & it wasnt too bad. The newer trains on the return where best as the air-con is nice & cool which helps. Had the odd break to eat/drink of course but didn't put me off travelling.

 

[GoneSouth]

really quite obviously they will get you a cab if they cant get you on the train.

That’s hopefully the case, however for the journey mentioned above (Scarborough to Kings Cross) that would incur at least a 2 hour delay. Win win with delay repay there (assuming that’s still happening). On the downside that’s an arrival into kings Cross at a very anti social hour!

 

[800001]

That’s hopefully the case, however for the journey mentioned above (Scarborough to Kings Cross) that would incur at least a 2 hour delay. Win win with delay repay there (assuming that’s still happening). On the downside that’s an arrival into kings Cross at a very anti social hour!

They have a small area which is unreserved, they would point to you to this area if they couldn't get you on trains, certainly wouldn't be putting you in a taxi

 

[greyman42]

BTW - i don't want to book a ticket or wear a mask or carry hand gel but accept that, at the moment, if I want/need to use the train those are the rules I have to follow. I either follow those rules or I stay at home. It seems many here have trouble with that very simple choice.

There is no requirement to carry hand sanitizer.

 

[185143]

Are they part of a longer journey?

They weren't. Advances with the origin of Manchester Piccadilly and the destination of Stockport/East Didsbury.

 

[route101]

They weren't. Advances with the origin of Manchester Piccadilly and the destination of Stockport/East Didsbury.

Was it TPE or Northern? I know Northern have advances but no seat reservations(Yet) . But on TPE once i noticed loads of seats reserved Manchester to Preston.