That's why trains have gangways...
Because carrying heavy luggage through four coaches of a crowded train, twice, isn't a terribly enjoyable experience?
Even if it did, there's no guarantee that the unit will be the right way round on the day. So if it did put all the passengers for a short station in Coach A, but Coach L was lead, all the seat reservations would be at the wrong end rather than just a percentage.
Not between two 5-car IETs coupled together there isn't. OK, in the OP's case that isn't relevant but there are a number of GWR stations served by IETs that are less than 5 coaches long.
Because a passenger might fairly reasonably expect to be able to leave the train at their destination.
No; it's not really practical to do that.
I have had seat reservations on GWR where your assigned carriage is not one that fits in platform at boarding station.
Thats ok for regulars, but not very useful if trying and encourage new customers to use the railway or try visiting somewhere new.
Yes, but what's the point of zonal marks on platforms, if you expect passengers to board in different coach to where seats are. Should not be trying to increase aisle congestion.
How do first class passengers reserve a seat on trains where J and K (or even just K) are the only FC carriages?
They can't.
There did seem to be some confusion in the system, as the screens at Penzance showed coach A to be the sixth coach when in fact it was the rear one (ie the rear unit was the opposite way round to what the departure screen at Penzance showed)
Oh, it did, the guard blaming a "design flaw" for the need to wait until a station if you found yourself in the wrong half of the train.
Quite. Or the person could have impaired mobility.
Realistically, yes (some operators can do it), but you can't account for people the using a seat selector to choose a different seat.
Don't hold your breath!
Until there's a platform reversal
Sounds like you haven't been on very many trains with a short platform to me. This happens all the time. For example on 185s the SDO information says that you need to be in the front five coaches at Wakefield Kirkgate platform 3, but it's actually the front four coaches only that open. Or on Northern its very common that you don't get that information at all until it's too late to move forward, or more likely the information system is switched off completely.
Yes, I'm not sure how it works exactly if there's a reversal in the middle of the journey, but I think that only happens during engineering work (i.e. trains that call at Leeds and go via Castleford).Until there's a platform reversal
This happens all the time on GWR. I wouldn't take what their screens say the coach formation is as true.
Saltash, St Germans, Lostwithiel, there are probably quite a few.
LNER take this into account at several Scottish locations as well as stations between Hull and Doncaster where first class is off of the platform end.
I have, several times. I have been in a 6 car 185 where the rear unit has had no announcements whatsoever more than once.
Ditto, although in my experience (mostly on the Redcar-Manchester axis) announcements about short platforms have always been made at the stations before boarding. Of course, at large busy stations such announcements may be lost in the fog, so to speak.
