Unhelpful reservation symbols at LNER
When I commenced work on my review of the December NRT, I noted that tables once again show all LNER services as “reservations compulsory”.
I thought LNER had come to understand that this really doesn’t work. If folk in Durham fancy a shopping trip to Newcastle and decide they’ll go up on the 1223 or 1327, knowing they can return at 1626, 1727 or 1829 (or even on CrossCountry trains at 1731 or 1835), what do you imagine they do?
I suggest it’s common sense that they’ll turn up at Durham station, buy an £8.30 Off-Peak Day Return, and go. Then, when they’re ready, they’ll turn up at Newcastle for one of the trains home.
LNER seems to imagine that they’ll go online and actually book their outward and return train before they even know how long they’ll be in Newcastle.
Now, one good thing about LNER is that its Managing Director, David Horne, is highly approachable and always willing to debate issues.
I put it to him that it would be far better to show his trains as “reservations recommended” and, indeed, the fact that he uses “reservations compulsory” begs the question as to why LNER has an unreserved coach.
He replied that in order to ensure a comfortable journey, LNER “encourages” customers to reserve a seat, but then went on to say: “I’m not sure why you are really asking why we have an unreserved coach… it’s there for those customers who are travelling without a reservation, or those who are not travelling on their booked train for whatever reason.”
So, LNER is saying that reservations are compulsory, yet has an unreserved coach for those who don’t reserve! Its true policy is therefore “reservations recommended”! It can’t have it both ways.
Great Western Railway showed “reservations compulsory” a year or so back, but realised it was unsustainable because its trains carry a mixture of users: some long-distance, but others on the same train undertaking local journeys or commuting. GWR therefore changed to ‘reservations recommended’.
Of course, saying reservations are compulsory leads to trains having quotas and then often showing tickets are ‘sold out’ online. Avanti West Coast does the same thing, yet when challenged is quite happy to tell users that if a train is ‘sold out’ they can always buy a walk-on ticket from a ticket machine on the day.
As just mentioned, GWR moved back to “recommended”, while Caledonian Sleepers use “compulsory” - and they are both correct. But both LNER and Avanti try to have it both ways. They are just plain wrong.
I have nothing against compulsory reservations where needed. British Rail had them, not least at busy times of year. It would then refuse access at London termini to those without reservations. However, it didn’t also try to prevent people joining for shorter journeys such as DurhamNewcastle.