Seat Reservations

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

You can already book seats on all Dublin Cork services so you don't have to stand

Are you sure? Is this new?

When I went to Cork in July, I booked online to discover I had a ticket not a seat like I had hoped. I think I got the last free seat on the train. It was actually more hassle to book online as you are given set trains with no guarenteed seat. If you can now book a seat that would be a most welcome improvement.

[Mark Gleeson]

You can book seats though it is a little hit and miss, but the system seems to allow it, we have got the reservation tags in our possession to prove it works. Not all Cork trains where bookable last year

First class is great and works exactly as you expect as you can pick the exact seat you want, it gives you a graphic of the coach you click for the seat you want, second class it offers no choice thats where things get fishy and the question of whether it works or not comes into play, its a little pricy to road test

The CDE sets have electronic reservation tags on the underside of the overhead luggage rack so you can book any seat and its all downloaded into the train, which means I can book Dublin Thurles and that seat can be rebooked from Thurles

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

second class it offers no choice thats where things get fishy and the question of whether it works or not comes into play, its a little pricy to road test

Until I get confirmation otherwise I will assume like all IE it is halfarsed and does not work. Shame really.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Paul Mulcahy

Until I get confirmation otherwise I will assume like all IE it is halfarsed and does not work. Shame really.

Well here is the reservation card, I've eased the name off the card

[Mark Gleeson]

And before anyone asks, it was a standard class seat

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

And before anyone asks, it was a standard class seat

That is definitely relatively new. I didn't get one of them when I book "a seat". This is a welcome development. It would be great if it actually does work for all seats.

[Mark Gleeson]

Done some investigation and found the smoking gun

Deeply buried in the system the following message can be found

Reservable Standard Class functionality has not yet been implemented on our services

Put simply you can book a ticket, that works but there won't be a reservation card to hold your seat

[Kevin K Kelehan]

That is a crock;

Virgin have major issues with their electronic seat displays and regularly have to reserve seats manually at Euston. If Virgin can take data from a reservation system and label seats manually why can't IE?

[Mark Gleeson]

What is confusing is I have a reservation card to prove it does work, but I can produce a statement from IE to say it doesn't work

So hands up who has bought a ticket online and not got a reservation since November 2005

[TomB]

That's interesting, this was the issue that first prompted me to post on a P11 message board, back in 2004. IE had announced reservations on peak standard class services but not implemented them.

A year and a half overdue? Muppets.

Irish Rail's plan for revolutionising intercity transport seems reasonable enough if you believe the spin: (1) regular services between the state's two busiest cities, and (2) a modern ticketing system in line with other countries. Despite investment of (1) €112 million and (2) one and a half years due to the rotten state of our railways there is still no sign of progress.

Muppets muppets muppets.

[TomB]

Decided to pick up the phone...
Nice lady in the travel centre assures me that std. class seat reservations are possible for intercity services, not just at peak...

Going down to Cork this weekend, so will give it a go. Maybe it's just the website that's banjaxed

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Thomas Bibby

Going down to Cork this weekend, so will give it a go. Maybe it's just the website that's banjaxed

Book seat see what happens, remember if you have to stand you get a refund. Book online, in standard class. Don't reveal which train you are getting

Proof is the reservation card

[al2637]

Maybe the solution is to provide enough capacity so that seat reservations aren't an issue

[Thomas J Stamp]

Any idea how Thomas got on with his experiment?

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by thomasjstamp

Any idea how Thomas got on with his experiment?

No, I'm yet to work out how to time travel.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Ha ha, I didnt see when he posted that, assumed he did it last Friday as I havent logged in since last week!!!

As a matter of interest i have seen those tickets stuck in the little holders above seats in standard class.

[Thomas J Stamp]

NOW.... how did Thomas get on with his experiment?

[Mark Gleeson]

Hmm you still cant book standard class seats on the new train well on the 22 June you can on the 13:30 Cork Dublin for some reason

Yes you can pick your seat in standard class, still its not right it since the locomotive is the other end, coach A is the first on a CDE and its on the Dublin end, coach A on a MK3 is at the Cork end but they appear the same way round on the website
You can now pick seats on Mk3 services too and they are correctly laid out

[MrX]

Are they going to lable the coaches? A, B, C and so on.

[Mark Gleeson]

CDE coaches are labeled, look at the destination display outside it will read
E Cork for coach E

A is first, B is the buffet then C through H are the coaches, I have yet to see a MK3 labeled