Cross Country Glasgow-Edinburgh Seat Availability

[clc]

The Cross Country website says there are no seats available on the services I would like to travel on between Glasgow and Edinburgh today (Dep Glasgow 1300, Dep Edinburgh 1711). Are these services really that busy? The cheap fare and convenience of not having to transfer between Central and Queen Street is appealing but not at the risk of having to stand for an hour.

 

[DarloRich]

the 1711 between Edinburgh and Glasgow is going to be busy as it would be on any route between two large cities - i have used it before and it is full

 

[222007]

Could be that all reservable seats on that service are taken. Have you thought about using the 10 minute reservation system? Never used it myself so couldnt offer advice on how it works

 

[Hadders]

If some members on here are to be believed 85% of the reserved seats will be vacant so you won't have problems getting a seat

 

[thelongestroad]

XC also reserve a number of seats for those booking full fare tickets, such as SOR etc.

Well, that certainly used to be the case on intercity flows.

 

[Greenback]

Like DarloRich, I'd expect any train at such a time to be very well loaded.

 

[Traveller54]

Earlier this month I booked a seat on the 0750 CC ex Glasgow Central to Edinburgh (destination Plymouth) the night before and was given a seat number that did not exist! But there were a few unnumbered seats with no reservation display, I worked out my seat would have been one of them and someone was already there, did not feel I could ask him to move with no seat numbering! Fortunately the train though busy was not heaving so I did find a seat elsewhere.

 

[clc]

In the end I played safe and took the 1145 Scotrail service via Carstairs despite the longer journey time (1h10m) and came back on the 1548 (1h15m). There were loads of seats on both.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

the 1711 between Edinburgh and Glasgow is going to be busy . . .

I agree. There can be ten or more passengers with first class tickets standing in the aisles, luggage areas and vestibules.

If some members on here are to be believed 85% of the reserved seats will be vacant so you won't have problems getting a seat

That may be true on many long distance services, but Edin - Glasgow is also an intensive commuter run. There are lots of season ticket holders and others without reservations on board. Lots and lots.