LNER to introduce reservation only services

LNER will introduce ‘reservation only’ travel from 11:00 on Monday 18 May 2020 until further notice.

This approach means that anyone who needs to travel with LNER will require a reservation for a specific train service, before boarding the train.

The introduction of ‘reservation only’ travel will help LNER manage the numbers of customers on each train and enable people to sit with sufficient distance from others on their journeys during the Covid-19 pandemic.  This will ensure a safe environment for both our customers and colleagues.

Customers will either secure a reservation at the time of booking or, if they already have a ticket without a reservation or are travelling on a flexible ticket, such as a season ticket, they will be able to use an online seat reservation tool or speak to staff in any station Travel Centre from Monday morning. 

Anyone with an existing reservation should ignore the seat details and choose a seat to ensure social distancing is possible.

We are also advising customers that, to keep numbers at a safe level, their first choice may not always be available so they should be prepared to be flexible with their plans.