Rail travel - a luxury?

[43096]

I far prefer the counted place system of reservations where one can choose where to sit according to the circumstances at the time.

I've been against reservations for some time. For a start they penalise those paying full fare disproportionately as they are less likely to reserve a seat (as they've likely got a need for flexible travel).

I would abolish reservations for all tickets and replace it with a "guaranteed seat" scheme which would be a charge for extra.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've been against reservations for some time. For a start they penalise those paying full fare disproportionately as they are less likely to reserve a seat (as they've likely got a need for flexible travel).

Though having reserved coaches allows them to use their phone to reserve at the last minute.

I would abolish reservations for all tickets and replace it with a "guaranteed seat" scheme which would be a charge for extra.

How would that work? (Maybe one for another thread?)

On SE commuter services that's basically called "First Class".

 

[43096]

Though having reserved coaches allows them to use their phone to reserve at the last minute.



How would that work? (Maybe one for another thread?)

On SE commuter services that's basically called "First Class".

It would work the same way it used to back in BR days, when you paid extra for a reservation! The quota control on "booked train only" seats per train would be the same as now, just there would be no guarantee you'd get a seat and you wouldn't be allocated a seat number.

We need to get away from the sort of nonsense that prevents long distance XC passengers being unable to travel/book a cheaper ticket simply because half a Plymouth-Newcastle service has seats booked Bristol TM-Bristol Parkway.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It would work the same way it used to back in BR days, when you paid extra for a reservation! The quota control on "booked train only" seats per train would be the same as now, just there would be no guarantee you'd get a seat and you wouldn't be allocated a seat number.

I'm really confused now. You said a "guaranteed seat scheme". "Counted places" does not guarantee a seat. How would the "guaranteed seat scheme" work other than by (optionally) reserving one?

I do think Advances should have a reservation, though, other than the sort of "edge case" below. The reason is that unlike a walk-up ticket I have no choice to say "this train is too busy, I'm going to take a different one".

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Dec 2020 ==

We need to get away from the sort of nonsense that prevents long distance XC passengers being unable to travel/book a cheaper ticket simply because half a Plymouth-Newcastle service has seats booked Bristol TM-Bristol Parkway.

There are a number of possible solutions to that that don't involve losing the benefit of seat selection and reservation.

1. German-style, don't allow (or charge a hefty fare for) local travel on IC services except where there is no local alternative. On DB, this is usually handled by running ICs as REs for part of their journey where there is no alternative.

2. Don't allow reservations for short journeys, but do have them for longer ones. I agree stuff like this (and Manchester Oxford Road-Manchester Piccadilly, which sometimes happens) is silly.

3. Provide XC enough capacity.

 

[43096]

I'm really confused now. You said a "guaranteed seat scheme". "Counted places" does not guarantee a seat. How would the "guaranteed seat scheme" work other than by (optionally) reserving one?

By optionally reserving one for an extra fee. It’s exactly what happened under BR, and should be easy to implement on web booking systems and apps.

I do think Advances should have a reservation, though, other than the sort of "edge case" below. The reason is that unlike a walk-up ticket I have no choice to say "this train is too busy, I'm going to take a different one".

Why should they have a reservation? Operators that don’t have seat reservations manage to offer booked train only tickets.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why should they have a reservation? Operators that don’t have seat reservations manage to offer booked train only tickets.

I said why

Because if I'm on a walk up ticket and not in a hurry and the intended train pulls in and has no spare seats, I will take a different one. An Advance does not offer me that option, so an accompanying reservation is sensible.