GWR seat reservations

[JacobWrenn]

Recently I have travelled a few times between Reading and Bath Spa on GWR to find that seat reservations basically count for nothing and anyone is just sitting in the first available seat they find. Is this normal across the GWR network? It seems like a sharp contrast to my travels on LNER. Also does anyone have any tips for picking a part of the train where I may be more likely to find a seat?

 

[Snow1964]

GWR offer reservations, and of course advance tickets come with them, but from Bath Spa some of the services are counted place unallocated seats (eg towards Portsmouth, Cardiff, Weymouth, Gloucester etc)

If operate a system that is free for all (sit anywhere) on some services, becomes rather difficult to get people into expectation of only using specific seats

 

[MasterPhillips]

Recently I have travelled a few times between Reading and Bath Spa on GWR to find that seat reservations basically count for nothing and anyone is just sitting in the first available seat they find. Is this normal across the GWR network? It seems like a sharp contrast to my travels on LNER. Also does anyone have any tips for picking a part of the train where I may be more likely to find a seat?

Was the train short formed to 5 coaches? If so reservations pretty much count for nothing.

In my experience people do ignore the reservation or just don’t notice them. However pretty much everyone will move if asked.

 

[dmncf]

Comparing GWR's and LNER's Hitachi trains, I find that on GWR there's a much lower probability of the seat reservation displays being turned on (i.e. showing the reservations rather than showing green light unreserved at every seat).

 

[JacobWrenn]

Was the train short formed to 5 coaches? If so reservations pretty much count for nothing.

In my experience people do ignore the reservation or just don’t notice them. However pretty much everyone will move if asked.

Was a full 9 coach every time. Although was very busy on one of the occasions.

 

[Horizon22]

Recently I have travelled a few times between Reading and Bath Spa on GWR to find that seat reservations basically count for nothing and anyone is just sitting in the first available seat they find. Is this normal across the GWR network? It seems like a sharp contrast to my travels on LNER. Also does anyone have any tips for picking a part of the train where I may be more likely to find a seat?

If you're boarding Reading to Bath try near the very front - fewer people would walk down the platform at Paddington. Not guaranteed, but a higher chance.

Were the reservations switched off (i.e was every seat lit up 'green')? Or were people just ignoring it?

 

[Parallel]

Sometimes reservations on a 9 car may be switched off if the service is booked as 10 cars (or vice versa) because they don’t match up properly between the formations. I had that a few weeks ago from Penzance.

 

[irish_rail]

Sometimes reservations on a 9 car may be switched off if the service is booked as 10 cars (or vice versa) because they don’t match up properly between the formations. I had that a few weeks ago from Penzance.

Indeed and 9 vice 10 and 10 vice 9 are very common occurrences at the moment! Its a bit of a lottery!

 

[Grecian 1998]

On 9 coach trains, the 'country' end of the train is often quieter than the London end in both directions.

On 10 coach trains, I often find the hybrid coach in each set is quieter in standard than other coaches. I suspect a lot of travellers see the screen door in the middle of the carriage and assume it's first class throughout.

I do mostly travel off-peak, so I suspect seasoned travellers at peak times will spread out throughout the train.

 

[irish_rail]

On 9 coach trains, the 'country' end of the train is often quieter than the London end in both directions.

On 10 coach trains, I often find the hybrid coach in each set is quieter in standard than other coaches. I suspect a lot of travellers see the screen door in the middle of the carriage and assume it's first class throughout.

I do mostly travel off-peak, so I suspect seasoned travellers at peak times will spread out throughout the train.

I generally find on 10 coach trains one half is usually significantly busier than the other, the trick is knowing which will be the "quiet half"!

 

[Oxfordblues]

Travelling with my bicycle from Reading to Castle Cary I made sure to reserve a cycle space well in advance. But when the train arrived at Reading the whole cycle area was stacked with luggage. With a 2-minute station stop there was no time to remove all the cases and I was told to wait for the next train. That was 2 hours later. Fearing a repetition I went into Paddington to make sure of a space. Of course, when we arrived back at Reading another cyclist was unable to board as I'd taken his slot! The whole GWR cycle reservation system is at best "sub-optimal".

 

[Bluejays]

Travelling with my bicycle from Reading to Castle Cary I made sure to reserve a cycle space well in advance. But when the train arrived at Reading the whole cycle area was stacked with luggage. With a 2-minute station stop there was no time to remove all the cases and I was told to wait for the next train. That was 2 hours later. Fearing a repetition I went into Paddington to make sure of a space. Of course, when we arrived back at Reading another cyclist was unable to board as I'd taken his slot! The whole GWR cycle reservation system is at best "sub-optimal".

That's poor, did the crew not find you a space? Make sure you claim delay repay!

 

[co-tr-paul]

Unreserved coaches .......

 

[apbj]

That's poor, did the crew not find you a space? Make sure you claim delay repay!

Poor, but not unusual.

GWR reservations are a chimera. As well as the 9-car/10-car changes there is also the famous Paddington pantomime where the crew don't arrive until the passengers are already boarded so the reservations (and even the carriage 'numbering') are applied retrospectively once the manager 'logs in' onboard; settled into your correct seat in the correct carriage? not any more!

 

[Bluejays]

Poor, but not unusual.

GWR reservations are a chimera. As well as the 9-car/10-car changes there is also the famous Paddington pantomime where the crew don't arrive until the passengers are already boarded so the reservations (and even the carriage 'numbering') are applied retrospectively once the manager 'logs in' onboard; settled into your correct seat in the correct carriage? not any more!

I don't accept it happens as regularly as you say, as someone who works these services. I can't remember ever turning any bike away, let alone a booked one.

 

[Benjwri]

It's also worth noting the GWR will show live loadings if you go into the live departures for a station, then select that relevant departure. I've found it to be quite accurate, can pretty much always locate the quietest coach and be there ready for arrival.

 

[Snow1964]

GWR reservations are a chimera. As well as the 9-car/10-car changes there is also the famous Paddington pantomime where the crew don't arrive until the passengers are already boarded so the reservations (and even the carriage 'numbering') are applied retrospectively once the manager 'logs in' onboard; settled into your correct seat in the correct carriage? not any more!

What is the point of the Paddington departure screens showing preparing in the platform number, if train is not actually prepared for the passengers to board. Perhaps I am taking it too literally and display should say dabbling

 

[JacobWrenn]

If you're boarding Reading to Bath try near the very front - fewer people would walk down the platform at Paddington. Not guaranteed, but a higher chance.

Were the reservations switched off (i.e was every seat lit up 'green')? Or were people just ignoring it?

Reservation displays were switched on, was just people ignoring. The worst occasion of this was departing from Bath where the train seemed to already be full having just come from Bristol.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Unreserved coaches .......View attachment 140083

C isn't the unreserved on a 5 car. It's D.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Unreserved coaches .......View attachment 140083

That's incorrect. There are no unreserved coaches on a 5-car IET. It's only Coach G on 9 or 10-car IET's.

 

[Master29]

I generally find on 10 coach trains one half is usually significantly busier than the other, the trick is knowing which will be the "quiet half"!

It depends on where people bunch together, especially when it rains but it is fairly predictable as pointed out already you`ll be better off near the front end of the train if the reservations are switched off. I agree it can be a bit tricky knowing which set will be quieter

 

[irish_rail]

It depends on where people bunch together, especially when it rains but it is fairly predictable as pointed out already you`ll be better off near the front end of the train if the reservations are switched off. I agree it can be a bit tricky knowing which set will be quieter

The front end though is actually much busier on the up direction through Cornwall as that is the bit that is platformed.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jul 2023 ==

I don't accept it happens as regularly as you say, as someone who works these services. I can't remember ever turning any bike away, let alone a booked one.

I experienced within last 2 weeks twice at Paddington.

 

[Benjwri]

I agree it can be a bit tricky knowing which set will be quieter

As I mentioned above it’s fairly easy with the GWR app to view live data

 

[TPO]

Of course this is not helped by the loss of the luggage space in the HST power cars.

I remember being stood at Exeter on a summer evening, the Up limited-stop train (calling Reading and Padd only) had arrangements to put all the big luggage items in the poeercar luggage areas, one pile for Reading, one pile for Paddington.

Similarly, the country end powercar was well used by cyclists joining Up trains at Bristol Parkway.

But the IET, being a glorified Thames Valley commuter train, got rid of all that. I don't see that as an improvement.

TPO

 

[MasterPhillips]

I remember being stood at Exeter on a summer evening, the Up limited-stop train (calling Reading and Padd only) had arrangements to put all the big luggage items in the poeercar luggage areas, one pile for Reading, one pile for Paddington.

Sounds so old fashioned now lol.

Such a shame the IETs have been such a downgrade when it comes to both this and bike spaces.

 

[Buses in Bath]

Recently I have travelled a few times between Reading and Bath Spa on GWR to find that seat reservations basically count for nothing and anyone is just sitting in the first available seat they find. Is this normal across the GWR network? It seems like a sharp contrast to my travels on LNER. Also does anyone have any tips for picking a part of the train where I may be more likely to find a seat?

Coaches A and B at the front are always empty as everyone piles into the first few coaches. You'll often find it full and standing at the rear leaving Paddington and potentially have a carriage to yourself if you make it to A.

Sometimes reservations on a 9 car may be switched off if the service is booked as 10 cars (or vice versa) because they don’t match up properly between the formations. I had that a few weeks ago from Penzance.

Of course some trains the reservation systems just dont work but they should be able to have reservations even if a booked 9 is a 10 or the other way around. For a 10 car that should be 9 reservations for half of coach K will be found in E and half of D moves to K and the rest of the train can be loaded as normal.

Unreserved coaches .......

This is not true. 5 cars have no unreserved carriage and both 9 and 10 car trains have G as the unreserved coach which slightly weirdly is a quiet coach on a 10 car train however it does mean, adding to the above comment, that if a 9 subs for a 10 or the other way around they only have to switch D and K as having G as unreserved means the smaller coach on the 10 car doesnt affect if they have to swap. This is also why E doesnt exist on a 9 car.