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Unread 05-04-2010, 12:19   #1
Thomas Ralph
IT Officer
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Greenwich, London
Posts: 1,860
Default Reservation notices

On a large number of services I've travelled on recently, the seat reservation notices have either not been up at all or have only come on at random. For example, on the train I'm sitting on (1230 Cork-Heuston), we're currently between Mallow and Limerick Junction. The seat reservation notices for passengers who boarded at Mallow are up, but there's nothing for seats reserved from Cork, nor any warning for seats reserved from Limerick Junction or Portlaoise. The train is booked out, so once we get to Limerick Junction it'll be cue massive musical chairs.

If there's a genuine fault with the reservation signs, anyone with a minimal level of cop-on would surely be able to make announcements at the stations before the train arrives, and on the trains, saying "carriages A, B, and C are fully reserved, please do not board these carriages unless you have a reservation". And even if there isn't a fault, it's good practice to make that announcement anyway. The staff at Cork were, in fairness, directing people to the right carriages.

There is not one member of staff on this half of the train (it's a 2×3 22K, so I presume they're all in the other half) to resolve any conflicts.

Most of this is nothing other than laziness and sloppiness and is causing passengers unnecessary grief and conflict. I imagine it'll only be a matter of time before there is a physical conflict between someone who tries to move someone else from their reserved seat.

I'm sure other people have had similar experiences, post here if so.
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Unread 05-04-2010, 15:29   #2
Eddie
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 258
Default

Another problem with the reservations system (I dislike being negative when there have been improvements over the last few years in Irish Rail) is that all reserved seats are together. This means that these carriages are usually more densely occupied than other carriages.

I invariably go and sit in an airline style seat in coaches F or G when going to and from Cork despite having an automatic reserved seat as I want to work / read / write and not be pinned to the window seat by a fellow passenger. I doubt I'm the only one.

So there could be passengers like me and others who book and don't turn up that mean there could be seats available in coaches C, D and E.
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