XC rant thread

[whole diary]

[Btline]

But someone travelling for a long distance will want to be sure the seat will not be needed at all.

Imagine the scenes: "but is said unreserved when I boarded 3 hours ago, so I'm not budging."

And as for a non scrolling sign for "Unreserved" - I doubt it is possible, otherwise I am sure they would have tried it!

[thetrout]

And as for a non scrolling sign for "Unreserved" - I doubt it is possible, otherwise I am sure they would have tried it!

Not meaning to be offensive here, so apologies in advance

It's very possible, just depends on the person who programmed the computer, and whether they know what they are doing...

When I travelled on a Pendolino (for my sins ) they boards said when I arrived at a seat, Unreserved or Reserved. So it is possible

You would be suprised at the amount of people that work in IT, yet don't have a clue... 

[Btline]

So they CAN do it!

So why aren't they....

But remember, it is only any good for seats which are (un)reserved for the rest of the journey. You can't have a changing sign.

[Phil]

Technically speaking, it would be a fairly straightforward process to issue a PIN with a seat reservation. Or even adapt the technology to use the code issued with self-collect tickets.

The display, which doesn't necessarily have to be overhead - it could just as easily be in the apex where the seat-backs meet facing the corridor, or in the floor next to the seats, either reads:

"Reserved to [station name]"
"Seat Taken"
or "Unreserved"

On arrival at the seat, the passenger enters the correct code into a touch-pad installed in the seat-back in front of him (or her, obviously), and the display immediately changes as appropriate.

Technically this is all possible, as I say. Extremely doubtful whether it would ever happen though.

[eightf48544]

Presumably the Voyager displays are similar to the continental ones.

I seem to remember that in the bike reservation part of the IC^▸ (Inter City train, or Internal Combustion engine, depending on context) DVT^▸ (Driving Van Trailer (carriage) or Deep Vein Thrombosis, depending on context) the display said reserved from Dortmund to Hannover. Whether it could show two sets of reservations I'm not sure.

It was quite funny, as it's almost unheard of, the train was in reverse formation with the DVT leading so as we ran into Dortmund there were all these cyclists waitng at the wrong end of the paltform, As we passed the driver hooted and waved but they didn't move.
We left 5 late. The DVT takes about 30 bikes.

[thetrout]

Phil has a good idea. But it would be inpractical and espensive to deploy/maintain.

Essentially we all know what would solve this problem...

More carriages which means more seats