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If you have purchased an Advance ticket but have still not received confirmation of seat reservation, please contact our ticketing team on 0345 603 4852. Otherwise, there are various reasons why you may not get a seat reservation:

  • The ticket you have purchased may be a flexible ticket such as an Anytime, Off-peak or Super Off-Peak ticket.
  • Seat reservations may not be available on the journey you are taking – e.g. if it is a short distance service.
  • Seat reservations may not be available with the train operator you are travelling with.
  • The train operator may not have released seat reservations at that time. The train operator will only open seat reservations when the train path has been confirmed by Network Rail. This is usually 12 weeks ahead of your travel date.
  • The train on which you wish to travel is full at the time of booking.

We strongly recommend that you make a seat reservation before you travel, especially if you're planning to travel with friends or family. To reserve your seat, contact our Customer Relations team on 0345 603 4852 (option 3, then option 1), this facility is available up to 5 minutes before departure (subject to availability).

To find out which of our services are the quietest to travel on, please see our dedicated travel updates page here.