North Downs Line Reservations

[Deepgreen]

This Sunday there is engineering work meaning that NDL trains are only running between Guildford and Reading. RTT shows the trains as "reservations compulsory" (see example screenshot). Surely this is incorrrect, as for a start, the 165s have no seat reservations capability?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Guildford around 1001 on 06/06/2021

Train information at Guildford around 1001 on 06/06/2021. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[JonathanH]

This Sunday there is engineering work meaning that NDL trains are only running between Guildford and Reading. RTT shows the trains as "reservations compulsory" (see example screenshot). Surely this is incorrrect, as for a start, the 165s have no seat reservations capability?

Realtime Trains | Departures from Guildford around 1001 on 06/06/2021

Train information at Guildford around 1001 on 06/06/2021. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

View attachment 97566

There is another thread about this. Basically, since 17 May, all GWR services on the North Downs Line (other than two trips from Reading to Shalford) have had reservation quotas for counted place reservations associated with the introduction of advance fares for journeys on the route - eg not just from further afield. There are, as you say, no reservations for specific seats.

All GWR trains which have reservations are currently set up as 'Reservations Compulsory'. The main point is to make it look like they are full on online journey planners once the quota is filled.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/why-cant-i-book-a-place-on-a-gwr-service.217773/
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-advance-fares-on-the-north-downs-line.216845/

 

[Deepgreen]

There is another thread about this. Basically, since 17 May, all GWR services on the North Downs Line (other than two trips from Reading to Shalford) have had reservation quotas for counted place reservations associated with the introduction of advance fares for journeys on the route - eg not just from further afield. There are, as you say, no reservations for specific seats.

All GWR trains which have reservations are currently set up as 'Reservations Compulsory'. The main point is to make it look like they are full on online journey planners once the quota is filled.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/why-cant-i-book-a-place-on-a-gwr-service.217773/
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-advance-fares-on-the-north-downs-line.216845/

Thanks. Does this translate to my now not being able to just 'turn up and go' on my local trains?

 

[JonathanH]

Thanks. Does this translate to my now not being able to just 'turn up and go' on my local trains?

No, not at all, but it might dissuade people who look at online timetables from catching a train that is expected to be full in preference to one which has more capacity.

(It also prevents some long-distance journeys if there isn't a quota on the North Downs line Section - one upshot is that capacity on the North Downs Line might determine the quota used (and therefore cost) for a long-distance booking rather than capacity on the long-distance train.

 

[Deepgreen]

No, not at all, but it might dissuade people who look at online timetables from catching a train that is expected to be full in preference to one which has more capacity.

(It also prevents some long-distance journeys if there isn't a quota on the North Downs line Section - one upshot is that capacity on the North Downs Line might determine the quota used (and therefore cost) for a long-distance booking rather than capacity on the long-distance train.

Thanks again - of course, I've only looked at the RTT listing, and the public timetables may have other indications of which trains are likely to be full (peaks, mainly, I would guess?). I imagine this is only a C19 issue anyway, although the constraint may be in place for years.