LNER : "this seat may get reserved"

[The exile]

You’re not guaranteed a seat with any ticket unless you’ve an accompanying seat reservation. This element has not changed and is the fact to which I refer.

In the past though, tgat only applied before you got on. Now you can be kicked out of a seat you’re already occupying.

 

[The exile]

Those travelling on rovers, etc, are a very small minority.

Add in season tickets and the minority is a lot less small.
Have to say it’s the social attitude it reflects / encourages that makes me oppose it.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Pendolinos are now fitted with a system to do that (hence the huge number of cameras along the ceiling - it's not just a well overdone CCTV system!) but I don't know if it's been turned on or not. Allegedly it's AI based and so can tell the difference between a person on a seat and a bag.

The trouble with that system, even AI isn't going to know how far the person sitting in the seat is travelling

 

[Bletchleyite]

The trouble with that system, even AI isn't going to know how far the person sitting in the seat is travelling

If the seat is occupied it won't be released for later reservation.

 

[Justin Smith]

I was pondering the other day how a system of real time seat bookings could be made acceptable as it is plainly unreasonable , to me at any rate, to "reserve" a seat someone is already sat in, and, as mentioned earlier, simply putting "this seat may become reserved" is an unacceptable get out.
Just having sensors in the seat would be most of the answer, but not all of it, what happens if the seat's occupant has gone to the loo or the buffet (do they still have them ! ).
An acceptable system might involve seat sensors with an automatic 10 minute delay before the seat becomes available to book. That should cover most instances ?

 

[py_megapixel]

I was pondering the other day how a system of real time seat bookings could be made acceptable as it is plainly unreasonable , to me at any rate, to "reserve" a seat someone is already sat in, and, as mentioned earlier, simply putting "this seat may become reserved" is an unacceptable get out.
Just having sensors in the seat would be most of the answer, but not all of it, what happens if the seat's occupant has gone to the loo or the buffet (do they still have them ! ).
An acceptable system might involve seat sensors with an automatic 10 minute delay before the seat becomes available to book. That should cover most instances ?

Someone using facilities on the train will probably leave their seat while the train is between stations - otherwise they would get caught up in the churn of passengers and of course risk losing their seat. On the other hand, someone reaching the end of their journey will leave their seat shortly before the train arrives at their station.

Therefore, a sensible system is probably to check when the seats were vacated. If integrated with other computer systems on the train, this would be easy: the train already "knows" where the stations are so that it can provide passenger information. So if the seat was vacated after a "we are now approaching X..." announcement is made, and remains vacant a few minutes after departing the station, it's probably safe to release for reservation from the following station; otherwise it's probably not.

Also, if a system is capable of distinguishing a bag on a seat from a person, it could be programmed to distinguish a bag put next to its owner from a bag put there to avoid losing a seat - the former would appear as a pair of empty seats followed by person on one seat and bag on the other, the latter as a person and then immediately a bag on the same seat

 

[Flying Snail]

As LNER are so intent of forcing all passengers to play their stupid reservation game then the only reasonable action is to play to win.

On any LNER train I intend to take I will now be reserving a full bay of 4 for myself, If I am unable to know far enough in advance which train I am taking then I will do so on multiple trains.