In the sense that you can board a train in the UK without a reservation, many companies will sell reservations whilst there is a seat available. Unlike trains with mandatory reservations that do not allow standing, the UK allow you on to stand.
Whilst not answering the question about the planner, I do strongly advise anybody using a mainline UK service with free reservations to do so through the free services or at the station ticket office.
Companies such as LNER offer reservations to stations down the line as the train is travelling so you can easily be playing musical chairs if you take an apparently unreserved seat. If all other seats are full by then prepare to stand.
It is correct that LNER have one unreservable carriage but that quickly fills and then you are at the mercy of the availability of seats elsewhere. Whilst this is particularly fraught at peak times it is IMHO a no-brainer at all times.
There are a few issues with information in the app about the reservation requirements in GB:
- Reservations for day trains in GB are not required but some operators (in any case LNER and TransPennine Express) include incorrect information about that in the timetables they send to the European Timetable Centre. In those cases you will see that the rail planner app (and also planners of other companies, who use the same data, such as DB and ÖBB) say that reservations are required, instead of recommended (which is what they should say IMO).
- Some time ago, a link to the ACP Rail website was added in the rail planner app for making reservations in GB and a €6 price for a reservation was added in the planner info (and that is the price that ACP charge).
The combination of this leads to the rail planner app claiming a €6 reservation is required for some trains in GB, which is indeed incorrect.
I have mentioned both items some time ago but nothing has happened.
@Camilo., in the rail planner app, a link to GWR for reservations would be much better. The price for reservations in GB should be set to €0. Further, would it be possible to contact LNER and TransPennine Express (or the RDG) again to insist that they should send correct timetable data to the European Timetable Centre, so without indicating mandatory reservations?
There are a few issues with information in the app about the reservation requirements in GB:
- Reservations for day trains in GB are not required but some operators (in any case LNER and TransPennine Express) include incorrect information about that in the timetables they send to the European Timetable Centre. In those cases you will see that the rail planner app (and also planners of other companies, who use the same data, such as DB and ÖBB) say that reservations are required, instead of recommended (which is what they should say IMO).
- Some time ago, a link to the ACP Rail website was added in the rail planner app for making reservations in GB and a €6 price for a reservation was added in the planner info (and that is the price that ACP charge).
The combination of this leads to the rail planner app claiming a €6 reservation is required for some trains in GB, which is indeed incorrect.
I have mentioned both items some time ago but nothing has happened.
@Camilo., in the rail planner app, a link to GWR for reservations would be much better. The price for reservations in GB should be set to €0. Further, would it be possible to contact LNER and TransPennine Express (or the RDG) again to insist that they should send correct timetable data to the European Timetable Centre, so without indicating mandatory reservations?
Hi everyone,
Thank you for flagging this up. I will report this matter to our superiors. It might take quite a while to get everything sorted out.
I'll come back to you after there's further information given.
Cheers!
