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XC - Reservations on a ticket bought for any time

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Looks like I'll be off to Tamworth from Birmingham next Saturday - and based on the other thread in here about buying a ticket for an XC service without specifying a particular train as I don't know the exact times I need - can I then do a reservation on board if it is quiet? As in the Ten Minute option they used to offer?
 
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jrh2254

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Last time I looked on the crosscountry website it was still an option. Whether its an option realtime is another matter!
 
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Just had a nice swift reply from XC on their Messenger service:

"Yes, you will best to use the TMR system."

Also asked about their 1st Class offerings on a Saturday - which seem to be offered as normal (although I'll be on the service for a brief period - it'll be nice to have some food and a coffee on the way).
 

zero

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Piggybacking on this thread - I need to take an XC service next week (Thursday 1330 to Cardiff) which is now "full". Does anyone know if the reservation requirement is going to be enforced at Birmingham New St at this time?
 

Watershed

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Piggybacking on this thread - I need to take an XC service next week (Thursday 1330 to Cardiff) which is now "full". Does anyone know if the reservation requirement is going to be enforced at Birmingham New St at this time?
No and particularly not on a Turbostar.
 

jrh2254

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It
Piggybacking on this thread - I need to take an XC service next week (Thursday 1330 to Cardiff) which is now "full". Does anyone know if the reservation requirement is going to be enforced at Birmingham New St at this time?
No as Watershed says above. I just booked another time and still used the ticket for the service I wanted. I do wonder what the situation is if there are no standard class returns available on the day and only the 1st class singles!
I expect a few people are tricked into purchasing these expensive tickets.
 

lancededcena

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I was doing a West Midlands Ranger last week and as far as I know you did not have to reserve seats for any CrossCountry services. (I was going from Stoke on Trent to Coventry).
 

trainophile

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Has anyone had any joy with texting XC for a seat reservation? Yet again I tried this morning, two hours before travel, and got the “no seats available” instant (therefore automated) response, yet on boarding the train and throughout the journey there were no more than 10 people in my coach at any one time. The entire coach had no reservation tickets out.

I think it’s broken. Must be discouraging some people from travelling.
 

Watershed

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Has anyone had any joy with texting XC for a seat reservation? Yet again I tried this morning, two hours before travel, and got the “no seats available” instant (therefore automated) response, yet on boarding the train and throughout the journey there were no more than 10 people in my coach at any one time. The entire coach had no reservation tickets out.

I think it’s broken. Must be discouraging some people from travelling.
There are only a very limited number of seats that are available to reserve through the text reservation system. So it doesn't take much for those all to be gone.
 

trainophile

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There are only a very limited number of seats that are available to reserve through the text reservation system. So it doesn't take much for those all to be gone.

But with the command that you MUST have a reservation to use the service, surely they are driving around with trains full of fresh air most of the time
 

ValleyLines142

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This whole reservations system is a sham. Last week my friend wanted to head down to Cardiff from Worcestershire Parkway, but as all trains were apparently 'fully booked in standard' only first class fares were showing, and so he changed his mind. I told him to just turn up next time; I travel at least twice a week between Gloucester and Cardiff and have never had any problems on board.
 

Bletchleyite

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This whole reservations system is a sham. Last week my friend wanted to head down to Cardiff from Worcestershire Parkway, but as all trains were apparently 'fully booked in standard' only first class fares were showing, and so he changed his mind. I told him to just turn up next time; I travel at least twice a week between Gloucester and Cardiff and have never had any problems on board.

I'm all up for CR as noted on the thread for that, but what the TOCs are actually doing is a right mess. It's not hard to do it right - just see what SNCF etc do.
 

voyagerdude220

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I also think the way the reservation system is set up isn't ideal at the moment. I appreciate TOCs are trying to spread people about, but today I was trying to find a table for 4 for a family travelling together Lancaster to London l in around 6 weeks time, so I'd imagine not many reservations yet on the train and the reservation system was trying to put 2 in coach B and 2 in coach E.
 

Haywain

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I also think the way the reservation system is set up isn't ideal at the moment. I appreciate TOCs are trying to spread people about, but today I was trying to find a table for 4 for a family travelling together Lancaster to London l in around 6 weeks time, so I'd imagine not many reservations yet on the train and the reservation system was trying to put 2 in coach B and 2 in coach E.
Because as Avanti have it set up it won’t, under any circumstances, reserve all 4 seats around a table - they are only reserving window seats.
 

ValleyLines142

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I also think the way the reservation system is set up isn't ideal at the moment. I appreciate TOCs are trying to spread people about, but today I was trying to find a table for 4 for a family travelling together Lancaster to London l in around 6 weeks time, so I'd imagine not many reservations yet on the train and the reservation system was trying to put 2 in coach B and 2 in coach E.
I noticed this the other day when I was trying to reserve a table for two in First Class from Liverpool to Stafford on Avanti. On their website it does say that if you're travelling as a family/group that you can sit together as long as you maintain social distancing from other passengers. I think if you reserve a seat on a table, it automatically voids the remaining 3 seats along that table, so the family should be fine to sit together.
 

Andy Pacer

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Also asked about their 1st Class offerings on a Saturday - which seem to be offered as normal (although I'll be on the service for a brief period - it'll be nice to have some food and a coffee on the way).

Did you get a response regarding the 1st Class offering?
 
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Did you get a response regarding the 1st Class offering?
They did answer back confirming it was available.

Got on the train at Bham in the morning - and the trolley bloke was ready in the vestibule - he came in and offered tea, coffee, water, juice and a biscuit.

On the return (which was late evening - around 8pm) there was no offering on board.
 

Andy Pacer

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They did answer back confirming it was available.

Got on the train at Bham in the morning - and the trolley bloke was ready in the vestibule - he came in and offered tea, coffee, water, juice and a biscuit.

On the return (which was late evening - around 8pm) there was no offering on board.
Thanks for the update, very useful :)
 

trainophile

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I am buying an Anytime Return Hereford to Taunton for a trip in the last two weeks of July. I didn't think there was any rush as being Anytime it's not like snapping up Advances before they go.

So today I decided to do it. Having already established that the 1219 GWR from Taunton to Newport no longer exists (sadly as it was perfect for a 1200 arrival at Taunton) I realised I would have to wait around for the 1248, not knowing it was XC not GWR. However the booking engine on Trainsplit wasn't even offering that train, and on TPE it was offering it but not allowing me to proceed to the payment page as no seat reservations are available. The next service is 1347, nearly two hours after my arrival at Taunton.

I booked a seat on the 1347 before that went too, but have every intention of boarding the 1248 and am prepared to argue with anyone who tries to stop me. Expecting people to hang around for nearly two hours when no doubt there will be plenty of free seats on the XC isn't on.

Anyone know why the 1219 GWR no longer exists? I know there's major engineering work in the Bristol area in July (through to September I believe :() but if XC can run trains then why can't GWR?
 
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