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IRISH RAIL CUSTOMERS are still encountering problems with pre-booked seats where their names do not appear and people are sitting in their designated seat when they board.
In an interview with this website over two years ago Irish Rail spokesperson Barry Kenny said it was working on fixing the issue by changing the technology system.
However it seems the issue has not gone away.
A passenger on an Iarnród Éireann service to Dublin Heuston told TheJournal.ie that she got on at Limerick Junction last weekend with a seat number allocated on her pre-booked ticket, but she found another passenger sitting in her seat.
Even though she showed her ticket to him to show the seat number, he refused to move because no names were displayed in the electronic display above any seat in the carriage. She said:
He was quite rude about it, saying that he didn’t care what was on my ticket, there was no name on the display and so he was entitled to sit where he liked.
“I was embarrassed and didn’t want to make a big show of it so I moved to an empty seat nearby and said that if the train filled up at later stops that I would have to claim my seat back but he told me that he still wouldn’t move.”
The passenger said that there was a similar incident at Thurles but in that case, the person sitting in the pre-booked seat was more gracious about moving.
“It shouldn’t be up to the passengers to have to ask when they have gone to the bother of booking their seat,” said the passenger.
I visit my daughter in Dublin every month and sometimes my name is there and sometimes it isn’t but I never know until I get on the train. My heart sinks when it’s not.
Advice for passengers
For the reserved names to be displayed above the seat, the driver of the train needs to enter the train’s ID number into the system before leaving the station.
Up until two years ago, the efficiency of this depended on the station’s Wi-Fi, which could be patchy. Irish Rail then started using 3G SIM to transmit the information.
Irish Rail’s Barry Kenny said, “Reliability of seat reservation displays has significantly improved as we have both the SIM and Wi-Fi features available”.
Mark Gleeson from Road Users Ireland told TheJournal.ie, “It kind of goes through phases of good and bad, we’ve seen good improvement but we started at a very low point.
“There are days when it doesn’t work and reservations don’t switch on.”
Gleeson added that Irish Rail do offer to refund customers if they have to stand, but added that that’s not much use if a parent is travelling with children and they need to be seated together.
The big problem now is that when you book your seat, the website presumes it’s a train of a certain type and length and if the train is smaller, then your seat, or carriage, may no longer exist.
He said Irish Rail is trying but the problems are a combination of human and technical errors.
He added, “No passenger should be allowed to board until seat reservations are turned on, it’s just frustrating.”
In a statement to this website, Irish Rail stated:
We would ask customers to respect seat reservations at all times.
“We are moving to a situation where we will have more customer service personnel on board Intercity services – one of the issues they will be able to assist with is where a display is not shown for any reason, the customer service personnel will have a booking manifest and be able to ensure seats aren’t incorrectly occupied.
In the meantime, we would ask customers to move if the seat is reserved, particularly to facilitate customers who have booked seats to sit together, and that where customer service personnel are available, they can assist.
Gleeson’s advice to anyone who is concerned is to show up early – unfortunately that only works if you’re traveling from the first station the train is departing from.
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Thoughts and prayers are with you all. I would think you are probably better off self isolating for the foreseeable future. Sone people still think this is over hyped and will stand inline in supermarkets for an hour with hundreds of others having no idea how dangerous it is
@jerry slattery: couldn’t agree more.
Listen to this expert on Joe Rogan.
@jerry slattery: it’s not over hype…but people do still need to buy stuff. For many reasons.
If someone is vulnerable and might have to self isolate,then they are gonna have to have some kind of food stock etc.
People doing their normal shopping.
And people just going in for their couple of bits. Going in and buying a whole aisle of beans and toilet paper is ridiculous. But if we were to go by what your saying,we be starved to death or people who will be self isolateing would have nothing at home or anyway of getting it
@jerry slattery: do a bit of gaming and streaming online with some friends its very socialable with the danger
@Matthew O’Kane ☘️✊#ONLYBERNIEBEATSTRUMP: without
Thanks for article Benat.
.
Govt should run ad campaign with each ad focusing on a high risk individual like yourself
I cant work from home, so I’m one of the people that still have to get on public transport for work. Yesterday the utter stupidity I was witnessing in Dublin is beyond belief. Some people have not got a clue about basic hygiene let alone what they should be doing now! Guy on the bus touching all the hand rails on tha bus. Sits down and starts to eat with his hands and lick his fingers clean. People waiting in line at shops breathing down each others necks. Packed pubs in Temple Bar. Choughing without covering their mouth. A person in a deli, wearing gloves but wiping their face and then going to serve the next person. I’m doing my best to keep myself and any others I have to interact with as safe as possible but, we seem to be a minority.
@Sea Graham: buy a bicycle if possible. Stay safe
@Philip King ⚡️: would if I could. I live in the back of beyond in relation to work.
@Sea Graham: I hate the bus too. public transport is bad at the best of time and this situation amplifies it. People are thick is seems. The amount of people who still won’t cover their mouth when coughing is crazy. I saw a child lick a window this week (the child was just being a child) but the parent was watching and thought it was hilarious. I said “you’d want to be careful” to the parent in a friendly manner and was given a dirty look. You can’t win against that mentality.
@Sean Ryan: the only up side is that what is normally a 3-4 hour daily commute is down to down to an hour and 20 because of people working from home and schools closed.
@Sea Graham: yes, it’s an ill wind…
@Sea Graham: I actually can work from home so I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. But you’re right on the money. How on earth can social distancing work in a night club? Imagine all those young people staying 3 feet away from each other while dancing. Or shouting in each others ears because of loud music. Hey sit everyone in a restaurant 3 feet away from each other while the waiting staff – who of necessity have to breach the 3ft rule – move freely between them. Something has not been thought through properly here. Stay safe.
You young people with CF have been constantly in my thoughts. I’ve tried to remind my family not to be blithe with their words saying “it’s just a cold” “what’s all the fuss” etc. Only the other day I realised after a while the lady I was talking to had a 21 son with CF. It’s serious for so many people.
As a kidney dialysis patient, I am also compromised. So much so that I have to miss my own mothers funeral this weekend
@Liam Higgins: very, very, sorry to hear that Liam. That is the extremely hard reality you are facing, I am in a high risk group myself and it is all very worrying. RIP to your mum
@Liam Higgins: gosh that is really awful for you but she’d want you to stay safe. Condolences on the death of your mother RIP
@Liam Higgins: please accept my sincere condolences on your mothers passing. This must be heart breaking for you especially. You have to though think of your own health now and protect yourself the very best you can. The country is full of self interest only people who’s ignorance and behaviour is beyond their thinking capabilities. Look after yourself and please god we will all get through this crisis together from another person with a compromised immune system..
We ALL have to follow the Expert advice like Benat has said not just for the sake of ourselves and our families and friends but for our communities and those in the vulnerable Catergories which includes children and not just older people with underlying conditions.We have to keep other people safe as well as ourselves.
There was a special Late Late show last night mostly about the situation we’re facing right down with tips,advice and information.It showed what to do if someone in your house has to self isolate &it had different rooms and showed what to do in each room.The programme also showed what to do with the person’s laundry, rubbish,meals,etc.It was excellent &worth watching.
Benat,thank you so much for your article reminding us that children and people in vulnerable catergories need us to act responsibly together to do our best to keep them safe from cross infection.
@Nuala Mc Namara: but on social media the usual piss take about their efforts to educate us we are moronic
@Woolly: just ignore the ass holes whose brains are up their arse. If they were in the category of those most at risk they would be singing a different song you can take that to the bank.
Can believe UK have thrown real people like yourself, Benat, to the dogs with their herd immunity approach and ignoring what worked in Asia.
My heart goes out to you and all CF patients.. it’s so worrying for you now, keep well
It’s not just Cf. I work with the public and I’ve got Rheumatoid Arthritis. I’m on an immunosuppressant so I’m vulnerable. At the same time I’ve a mortgage and bills to pay. I’m sure there’s a lot more conditions out there and many more people in a similar situation than first realised.
Unfortunately many people don’t get it through their thick heads until they or loved ones are affected . Might have two weeks off but instead of isolation on behave of others even they want to go clubbing or out like Christmas came early.
Immunosuppressed myself and it does make you somewhat paranoid – though in this case, they ARE after you. At least, I already have the mindset of avoiding illness. Should you seal yourself in or live as normally as possible?
Stay safe x
If you know any selfish people taking a cavalier attitude to do this, send them a link to this article.
So- do you know what’s been happening to CF patients in China & Italy, please?
@James Coyle: the Italian government seem to be abandoning their citizens and as for China they are just spouting bs. They don’t take care of their own at the best of times
Very good points Benat hoping you can stay clear of this. It must be a horribly worrying time for you and all your family. Please people cop on and do what you’re told.
Well done Benny great article x
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