Chaos with LNER reservations again

[Deerfold]

On the 1203 out of London.

The 1233 is cancelled so we've quite a few passengers from that on board.

We walked the length of the train to our carriage only for them to decide the train was the other way round and walked back again after the carriage letters were changed.

Seat reservations aren't displaying but announcements tell us that we have to sit in our reserved seats so there's a stream of people being thrown out of seats as they couldn't tell if they were reserved.

Surely there's a better system than this.

 

[OscarH]

Seat reservation loading is not a hard problem to solve technically. Quite how we've ended up with such unreliable implementations across the board is embarassing

 

[Deerfold]

After leaving Peterborough we're now sat in the wrong seats as the coach letter has changed again with reservations for that coach appearing...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

Announcements say there are few seats in B at the front of the train.

But B is currently showing at the back...

And another 20 minutes and now we're back in our original carriage.

 

[LickeyIncliner]

After leaving Peterborough we're now sat in the wrong seats as the coach letter has changed again with reservations for that coach appearing...

Announcements say there are few seats in B at the front of the train.

But B is currently showing at the back...

Realtime Trains is showing 1D13 as made up of two 5-car units, the rear one the opposite way round to usual (i.e. with first class at the north rather than the usual south end). I wonder if the problem is that announcements intended for the rear unit (coaches F to K) are being broadcast in the front unit (A to E) as well ?

 

[Deerfold]

Realtime Trains is showing 1D13 as made up of two 5-car units, the rear one the opposite way round to usual (i.e. with first class at the north rather than the usual south end). I wonder if the problem is that announcements intended for the rear unit (coaches F to K) are being broadcast in the front unit (A to E) as well ?

The two sections keep changing their mind about which is which. First class is at the two ends, but my coach has been D twice and K twice.
RTT is showing both as in the middle.

As per usual, the slightest disruption means no food or water.

I understand them not being able to get through until Peterborough, where we got a lot quieter, but disappointing to once again get nothing.

 

[800001]

The two sections keep changing their mind about which is which. First class is at the two ends, but my coach has been D twice and K twice.
RTT is showing both as in the middle.

As per usual, the slightest disruption means no food or water.

I understand them not being able to get through until Peterborough, where we got a lot quieter, but disappointing to once again get nothing.

When the platform staff loaded reservations at Kings Cross, they need to literally press one button to get the formation correct on the reservation, looks like that didn't happen (only needs doing on 10 cars if system loads them wrong).

The further altering of reservations sounds like the Train Manager thinks they are doing the right thing by trying to correct it while trains on the move, when they should just leave it as is, and notify control so they can get stations to update the platform information screens at the stations train will call at.

**eg on a correct formation 10 car the reservations often load as :-FGHKM+ABCDE
By pressing 'switch sets' it changes the formation to the correct one of :-
ABCDE+FGHKM

Hope above makes sense, it's a simple one button process that should be done when setting up reservations before customers board.

 

[Lee_Again]

This seat reservation thing annoys the hell out of me... here's what I would do.
ONLY let passengers onboard at the start of a journey ONCE the seat reservation system is proven to have activated correctly. If it fails, then announce 'no reserved seats' and leave it be.
The number of times I've boarded with no reservations showing, only for it to become active soon after, and the consequential chaos that ensues, is shocking.
Once you sit in a 'free' seat, that should be it. Making a family, elderly person, or anybody for that matter, move afterwards is a shocking way to treat people.

 

[Flying Snail]

a shocking way to treat people.

LNER: A shocking way to treat people.

Has a certain ring about it.

Brought to you by the train company that chose a muppet as it's mascot.

 

[apinnard]

Don’t get me started in my treatment on Wednesday when a certain well known employee refused me entry to the empty coach M at Peterborough on a London to York slow service, because, and I quote “we’re too noisy” (he said, gesturing to the couple of other LNER staff sat around the end tables.

 

[OscarH]

This seat reservation thing annoys the hell out of me... here's what I would do.
ONLY let passengers onboard at the start of a journey ONCE the seat reservation system is proven to have activated correctly. If it fails, then announce 'no reserved seats' and leave it be.
The number of times I've boarded with no reservations showing, only for it to become active soon after, and the consequential chaos that ensues, is shocking.
Once you sit in a 'free' seat, that should be it. Making a family, elderly person, or anybody for that matter, move afterwards is a shocking way to treat people.

This is absolutely the correct way to handle it, and the cases where they don't load correctly should be vanishingly small

 

[800001]

Don’t get me started in my treatment on Wednesday when a certain well known employee refused me entry to the empty coach M at Peterborough on a London to York slow service, because, and I quote “we’re too noisy” (he said, gesturing to the couple of other LNER staff sat around the end tables.

That is certainly worthy of a complaint regarding the treatment of yourself by the staff.

 

[liamf656]

If the reservations don't work then surely they have to make the seats first come first served instead, for that journey? It'll pee a few people off but it's better than the many arguments caused by people sitting in each other's seats

 

[Deerfold]

If the reservations don't work then surely they have to make the seats first come first served instead, for that journey? It'll pee a few people off but it's better than the many arguments caused by people sitting in each other's seats

You'd think.

Staff weren't around to handle the disputes, either.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Oct 2025 ==

That is certainly worthy of a complaint regarding the treatment of yourself by the staff.

Last time we travelled reservations were suspended and we were not allowed to board coach M because it had been taken out of use.
I suggested they should put on the boards when reservations were suspended (when they knew son enough) or coaches out of use and was told they couldn't do that.
The boards had been displaying the usual "reserve your seat up to 5 minutes before departure".

 

[aaronspence]

Staff weren't around to handle the disputes, either.

Ive noticed that a lot when a LNER service is busy, you see no staff.. where do they run away and hide to? Is there a crew room in the Azumas?

 

[800001]

Ive noticed that a lot when a LNER service is busy, you see no staff.. where do they run away and hide to? Is there a crew room in the Azumas?

It's the Kitchen area at the rear of the train, there is a couple of crew seats between that and the drivers cab.

 

[londonmidland]

12:45 Leeds to Kings Cross, formed of a 225 set, has no working reservations.

 

[Parallel]

If the reservation system fails for whatever reason, if they are still enforcing everyone sits into their assigned seat, there should be a system back up option which at least shows the seats that can’t be reserved in the carriage - I think that’s half of coach C in the 9 car Azumas? And possibly some others. At least that would give passengers without reservations a chance of avoiding conflict and having a more comfortable journey, rather than having to guess which seats aren’t reserved and then getting turfed out multiple times.

 

[Yorkshire09876]

If the reservation system fails for whatever reason, if they are still enforcing everyone sits into their assigned seat,

They have no legal authority to do that - if the seat isn't marked as reserved, it's not reserved according to the byelaw dealing with this.

 

[Parallel]

They have no legal authority to do that - if the seat isn't marked as reserved, it's not reserved according to the byelaw dealing with this.

Indeed, but the issue is they are still enforcing ‘sit in your reserved seats’ when reservations aren’t displayed.

 

[apinnard]

That is certainly worthy of a complaint regarding the treatment of yourself by the staff.

Went in on the day. Turns out the particular chap is a Doncaster staffer who is well known for it.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Went in on the day. Turns out the particular chap is a Doncaster staffer who is well known for it.

As far as I'm aware, Station Staff don't have authority to refuse access to a particular of a train, only the Train Manager does.

I believe LNER MD David Horne often visits this forum. He might be able to assist you with your complaint about this incident.

 

[800001]

As far as I'm aware, Station Staff don't have authority to refuse access to a particular of a train, only the Train Manager does.

I believe LNER MD David Horne often visits this forum. He might be able to assist you with your complaint about this incident.

I think the poster is implying they are a Doncaster catering crew refusing access to coach M unless I'm mistaken.

 

[AJW12]

Noticed some reservation chaos today as I was travelling on the 15:06 (Kings X - Doncaster) which was due to be 9 carriages and ended up a 5 carriage set. First, there was no notice on LNER's service updates which they used to do when they short formed services so it took us by surprise.

Weird though that they set the train up with reservations and it ended up labelling the coaches (from the front) A,B,K,L,M - so complete confusion when people boarded and it was purely pot luck on whether your seat reservation was on one of the lucky five carriages! They only then decided to turn the reservations off 15 minutes after boarding started. No apology from the train manager either, just that it was a 'different type of train'.

Whilst waiting for a connection I noticed the 15:30 was also exactly the same, reservations suspended, weird coach letterings. Are LNER short on stock again at the moment?

 

[apinnard]

As far as I'm aware, Station Staff don't have authority to refuse access to a particular of a train, only the Train Manager does.

I believe LNER MD David Horne often visits this forum. He might be able to assist you with your complaint about this incident.

By “staffer” I meant the onboard staff. He was very insistent.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Oct 2025 ==

I think the poster is implying they are a Doncaster catering crew refusing access to coach M unless I'm mistaken.

Correct.

 

[800001]

Noticed some reservation chaos today as I was travelling on the 15:06 (Kings X - Doncaster) which was due to be 9 carriages and ended up a 5 carriage set. First, there was no notice on LNER's service updates which they used to do when they short formed services so it took us by surprise.

Weird though that they set the train up with reservations and it ended up labelling the coaches (from the front) A,B,K,L,M - so complete confusion when people boarded and it was purely pot luck on whether your seat reservation was on one of the lucky five carriages! They only then decided to turn the reservations off 15 minutes after boarding started. No apology from the train manager either, just that it was a 'different type of train'.

Whilst waiting for a connection I noticed the 15:30 was also exactly the same, reservations suspended, weird coach letterings. Are LNER short on stock again at the moment?

That is the correct formation for when a 5 replaces a 9, even though L becomes the half/half coach. So creating even more confusion than is necessary

 

[D1537]

That is the correct formation for when a 5 replaces a 9, even though L becomes the half/half coach. So creating even more confusion than is necessary

Surely ABKLM doesn't work at all? I mean, I realise that there's going to be chaos either way, but that produces a K which is standard class (and would be 50/50 on a 9-car), an L which is 50/50 (would be first class on a 9-car) and the other 3 are OK. Surely it would be better being ABCKM? (you could replace ABC with anything from ABCGHJ)

 

[AJW12]

That is the correct formation for when a 5 replaces a 9, even though L becomes the half/half coach. So creating even more confusion than is necessary

Ah - that's really odd though. Feel like it would be much easier to just leave it as standard A,B,C,D,E and then switch all reservations off. Can't help but wonder if they care more about making sure someone can't accidentally sit in first class than how to keep confusion to a minimum...

 

[800001]

Surely ABKLM doesn't work at all? I mean, I realise that there's going to be chaos either way, but that produces a K which is standard class (and would be 50/50 on a 9-car), an L which is 50/50 (would be first class on a 9-car) and the other 3 are OK. Surely it would be better being ABCKM? (you could replace ABC with anything from ABCGHJ)

I agree, it doesn't work at all.

 

[yorkie]

Went in on the day. Turns out the particular chap is a Doncaster staffer who is well known for it.

I think the poster is implying they are a Doncaster catering crew refusing access to coach M unless I'm mistaken.

I see the 'Gloves' were off

Hopefully the complaint will be taken seriously; I've seen the same individual mistreating passengers on a couple of occasions.

 

[Bikeman78]

On the 1203 out of London.

The 1233 is cancelled so we've quite a few passengers from that on board.

We walked the length of the train to our carriage only for them to decide the train was the other way round and walked back again after the carriage letters were changed.

Seat reservations aren't displaying but announcements tell us that we have to sit in our reserved seats so there's a stream of people being thrown out of seats as they couldn't tell if they were reserved.

Surely there's a better system than this.

I was on a train from Edinburgh recently. Seat reservations not working but everyone told to sit in booked seats. Lots of aggro at every stop with people being evicted. If nothing else, this shows that there are still plenty of walk up passengers.

GWR seem to manage much better. The reservations usually work and, if they don't, people can sit anywhere.