Leeds - Cardiff & rtn

[northernrailer]

Im travelling from Leeds - Cardiff but my query is between Manchester & Cardiff.

On Monday 28th March im travelling on the 08:30 from Manchester - Cardiff, and on Tuesday 29th March im travelling on the 16:50 from Cardiff - Manchester, i have booked the tickets via their website, im actually booked on the times above - but it would not give me a seat reservation! Last time i travelled to Cardiff i had seats reserved in both directions, do ATW not do seat reservations now from Manchester - Cardiff.

The 08:30 Manchester - Cardiff service what unit is this booked for? wouldnt imagine this service will be busy??

The 16:50 Cardiff - Manchester service what unit is this booked for?? and is this service usually busy on a tuesday???

I did quite well with the fares:

06:55 Leeds - Manchester £3.95 single (got seat reservations)
08:30 Manchester - Cardiff £8.60 single (no seat reservations given)
16:50 Cardiff - Manchester £8.60 single (no seats reservations given)
20:41 Manchester - Leeds £3.95 sinlge (got seat reservations)

total of journey £25.10

 

[LexyBoy]

ATW don't do seat reservations on any services AFAIK, the tickets will have reservation cards with the train details but **** for the coach and seat number.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Think I have read somewhere that ATW have stopped seat reservations? You book on to a train but not a seat. Progress - not!

 

[northernrailer]

thats right, as below. To me its stupid that they have stopped seats res, they could of kept them on the South Wales - Manc services.

coach seat
xxxx xxxx

 

[Masbroughlad]

thats right, as below. To me its stupid that they have stopped seats res, they could of kept them on the South Wales - Manc services.

coach seat
xxxx xxxx

More Arriva penny pinching.

 

[bb21]

More Arriva penny pinching.

Every little helps

 

[John @ home]

It was reported recently on this forum that the ATW trains are actually still reservable but that seat reservations (rather than reservations of a place on a specific train) are no longer given automatically with Advance tickets.

 

[airwolf21]

Yep thats right john, you just have to specifically ask for it when booking. I still have to put the tickets on seats at carmarthen

 

[northernrailer]

if i took my tickets to Leeds booking office tomorrow and showed them the tickets would they be able to issue me with seat reservation??

Does anyone know how busy in general the following services are:

0830 Manchester - Cardiff (monday mornings)
1650 Cardiff - Manchester (tuesday evenings)

the only thing is the train back to Manchester at 1650 comes from Carmarthen and dont really want to be standing!!

 

[island]

It can be done. Whether the particular clerk you get will be willing and able to do it is another question

 

[DJ737]

Yep thats right john, you just have to specifically ask for it when booking. I still have to put the tickets on seats at carmarthen

G'day
That explains the seat reservation cards on the 0709 Pembroke Dock-Manchester train I took a few weeks ago, had an advance Lamphey to Man Picc but no seat reservation, so I was suprised to see cards on seats.

On a seperate note, don't train conductors (is that their title?) have ticket cancellers anymore?, all the trains I took while in the UK the conductor just scribbled an X on the tickets with a biro.

Cheers
DJ737
Melbourne, Australia

 

[yorkie]

if i took my tickets to Leeds booking office tomorrow and showed them the tickets would they be able to issue me with seat reservation??

I don't think those trains allow seat reservations.

If they did, you'd have been issued with seat reservations.

the only thing is the train back to Manchester at 1650 comes from Carmarthen and dont really want to be standing!!

Most people who are already on will be getting off.

If you are standing, then I am certain seats will become available by Abergavenny at the latest (if not Newport or Cwmbran). These trains are used for many local intermediate journeys. The number of passengers doing Carmarthen to Manchester throughout could be counted on one hand.

 

[island]

On a seperate note, don't train conductors (is that their title?) have ticket cancellers anymore?, all the trains I took while in the UK the conductor just scribbled an X on the tickets with a biro.

I believe they are properly called guards if they have a role other than passenger interactions, and train managers if they do not. But I may be wrong.

A minority of guards do still carry stamper things which imprint the date and headcode, a few more carry hole-punchers, and some use pens. Heathrow Express/Connect have a Trodat stamper with the HEX symbol. Most just look at the ticket and don't mark it at all.

 

[Greenback]

I don't think those trains allow seat reservations.

If they did, you'd have been issued with seat reservations.

Most people who are already on will be getting off.

If you are standing, then I am certain seats will become available by Abergavenny at the latest (if not Newport or Cwmbran). These trains are used for many local intermediate journeys. The number of passengers doing Carmarthen to Manchester throughout could be counted on one hand.

Correct. I have often caught this train from Llanelli (1529) and it is pretty quiet until Cardiff, where there are usually a lot of people waiting to get on. There are some who remain on the train from west of Cardiff to east of Cardiff, but the majority do get off as Yorkie says.

I agree that if you do have to stand at all, it will not be for long.

 

[MCR247]

I don't think those trains allow seat reservations.

If they did, you'd have been issued with seat reservations.

.

They do, but only from ticket office issued tickets iirc

 

[Flamingo]

I believe they are properly called guards if they have a role other than passenger interactions, and train managers if they do not. But I may be wrong.

A minority of guards do still carry stamper things which imprint the date and headcode, a few more carry hole-punchers, and some use pens. Heathrow Express/Connect have a Trodat stamper with the HEX symbol. Most just look at the ticket and don't mark it at all.

a. Train managers have a responsibility for On-Board staff (i.e. Customer Hosts).

b. It's a franchise requirement on FGW for staff to use the Ziffa stampers, and we've just been reminded to do so!

I've had a known troublemaker in the past show me an obviously used ticket with a scribble on it, and when I challenged him he said "That was me testing my pen". I couldn't disprove it so I stamped it and moved on. Next night, same guy, same ticket - with my stamp from the night before on it! I bounced him off at the next stop as he had no cash. It was the last train as well

 

[bnm]

b. It's a franchise requirement on FGW for staff to use the Ziffa stampers, and we've just been reminded to do so!

Ahh. Had a FGW TM write '1A19' with a Sharpie on my ticket the other morning. Thing is I was on 1A13! Better than a squiggle with a biro I suppose!

 

[Flamingo]

As I said, we are having "reminders" that we need to use them. I do (usually)