Seat reservations, Irish Rail - what is the story

Kirm2

I took the Dublin to Cork train for the first time in many years last week. Its going to be a weekly return trip now for work. I booked my ticket online and reserved my seat.

I boarded at Heuston and got my allocated seat, but many people didn't - they arrived at their seats to find them occupied and those people refused to move. There were no names displayed above any seat.

On the return journey I boarded in Thurles and looked for my seat - it was occupied and there were no names displayed again. I was told by the person in my seat that you could sit anywhere.

What is the point of the seat reservation??? Was I just unlucky or is every train trip this way?

L1011

Every single trip I've been since the pandemic (since reservations restarted anyway) has had inop seat res. And the vast majority of people will not move if the sign isn't on (some won't if it is, either).

Its very easy for the seat reservation file to be wiped by restarting the electrical systems on the 22k series units but I don't think the MkIVs have that issue.

Maz2016

Same. I was on Houston to cork train yesterday. When o got on there was an auld fella sitting in my seat. I purposely booked that seat as friends were joining me further on in the journey and we all knew where to meet. No way would he move. The names were displayed. I felt like the eejit so I just looked for new seats myself

L1011

Older passengers are the absolute worst for refusing to move. Decades of there not being seat reservations at all I suspect is the main factor!

The generally actually impossible requirement to be in your seat 20mins before departure to make the reservation valid needs to be removed from the rules. Platform gates or the train doors are often not open that early; nor is it ever possible at an intermediate station.

whisky_galore

What is wrong with Irish people?

In any other country where they don't have the tech to display over the seats, they print a ticket with numbers that match the carriage and seat. If the seat is not yours and someone comes along with that ticket and those numbers, you bloody well move your arse.

Why does it need a display to tell them to shift? There aren't any displays on flights, why should trains be different??

the lack of anyone on a train to enforce it is of course the problem here

end of the road

the seat reservation system is just a perfect example of the typical CIE lack of attention to detail or enforcement of anything.

have the system for the sake of it but don't bother insuring it works effectively because reasons and don't even guarantee the reserver a seat at all even though they reserved it, unless that has changed.

Vic_08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523460#Comment_119523460

I don't know any country that has both reserved and unreserved travel on trains without seat displays or paper tickets on seats.

Plenty of places with fully reserved seating and no displays.

The same goes for airlines, either fully reserved or free-for-all is the norm.

OnDeBanks

If a train is booked out can you still buy a ticket at the ticket office and stand on the train?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120102476#Comment_120102476

Yes, although if its absolutely crammed you might not get on!

elperello

In the UK they have a digital display on your numbered seat.

On some trains they can display reserved to certain intermediate stations on the journey so that when the train leaves a station and the passenger who had the reservation leaves the display shows that the seat is now available and anyone can sit in it.

Also if someone does happen to sit in your reserved seat they will move.

thefallingman

People refusing to move is insane if seat is booked

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105231#Comment_120105231

They need to know that a member of staff will insist that they move.

At the moment there is no sanction for being ignorant.

Maz2016

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105200#Comment_120105200

That’s the same as Irish Rail. If I was getting the Dublin to Cork train but get off at Limerick Junction, the digital name over my seat turns off indicating the seat is free again

This is one of the reasons I just completely gave up on Irish Rail. I have a not very obvious issue with my back and I need to know I have a seat.

I was left with arguments about seats a few times and I just haven’t been back since.

Last time I took a train in Ireland was 2017 and it’s directly because of this.

Barna77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120102476#Comment_120102476

Yep. Enterprise to Belfast is a good example. Trains in the evenings are usually packed.

I learned the other day that in Spain, you can't travel standing up on commuter / intercity trains. Imagine that here ha ha

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105231#Comment_120105231

Being polite to a fellow human isn't a virtue anymore, just a selfish 'what you gonna do about it?' attitude.

geographica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119509686#Comment_119509686

It’s always aul lads playing dumb

You go and sit somewhere else then someone gets on tells you you’re in their seat and chaos ensues

geographica

Experienced last week, on way to Dublin there were announcements after every station about pre booked seats and carriage letters, on way back not one announcement 🤷🏼‍♂️

Is it the driver or guard that announces it?

Not made with hands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105231#Comment_120105231

Possibly but there's the 20 minutes rule too.

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122253111#Comment_122253111

Iarnród Éireann services don't have guards. It's the "onboard customer service officer" that does it. There's usually one on each service, sometimes there's more and sometimes none at all, and it really depends on their mood if they'll enforce things or not.

In my own experience on the Waterford trains they'll make several announcements saying things like "if your bag is on a seat, you will be made pay for it", or "if you're in a seat that's not yours, you will be made move".

Vote4Squirrels

System not working on the Limerick train earlier - everyone decent, and just did as advised and chose another seat.

Bar one “Karen” as I believe the kids call them. Insisted she had a seat reserved, wouldn’t show anyone the ticket to prove this and caused a mighty ruckus!!

I’m not sure she has a seat reserved tbh!

geographica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122280752#Comment_122280752

Yeh whatever I think people got what I meant

geographica

and when I say guard I mean train guard not a Garda

geographica

I would just move, couldn’t do with the embarrassment

Glaceon

I had such an experience on the Enterprise about 6 months ago. I had booked seats for myself, my wife and our two nephews. When we got on the train, there was a group in our seats. They tried to say that the display wasn't working, which was a lie because our names were on there. One of them huffed about "ugh, just sit somewhere else". I had a look through the train and there were no free four seaters. If it were just my wife and I, I would have moved, but knowing that I had two kids to think about, I complained to the train guard, who was Translink staff. He was very supportive and put us in first class, while himself and one of the cleaners went down to give them a bollocking.

LimerickGray

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122280778#Comment_122280778

I find they do have a seat reserved but for a different day or time.

Vote4Squirrels

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122283668#Comment_122283668

Fair point that thanks!

LimerickGray

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122283682#Comment_122283682

that’s the usual reason. When the staff come, that is what is on their ticket.

feargantae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122281667#Comment_122281667

There is neither train guard nor Garda on Iarnród Éireann services. That's all I meant!