How it works

Making a Ten minute reservation

On the Ten minute reservations page, use the boxes to tell us where you are travelling from and to and we will show you the trains on which ten minute reservations by SMS are available.

In order to make your reservation, simply send a text message with the text code for the appropriate train to88008, using the three letter station code for each station. For example, if you wish to make a reservation in Standard on the 0800 Bristol to Cheltenham service, please text 'TMR BRI CNM 0800'. If you would like to make a Ten minute reservation in First Class on the 0757 Birmingham to Manchester service, please text 'TMR BHM MAN 0757 1ST'.

If there is a seat available we will make the reservation for you and will send your reservation details back to you by text message. If it is not possible to make the reservation, we will let you know.

How late can I reserve a seat?

• You can buy your train tickets and get a seat reservation before the day of travel from any train ticket booking outlet.
• You can buy your train ticket and get a reservation on the day of travel via the CrossCountry website up to 15 minutes before your train, or via our Train Tickets app which offers reservations up to ten minutes before departure.
• If signed in our website, you can also add a seat reservation to an existing booking with CrossCountry up to 15 minutes before you travel.
• You can call Journeycare or the CrossCountry call centre on the day of travel(only when purchasing a ticket or amending an existing booking).
• Our Ten minute reservation SMS service is designed to allow reservations to be made on the day of travel only, and up until ten minutes before the departure time of the train from your station. However, the earlier you are able to book, the more likely we are to be able to meet your reservation request.

How to use on board

On our Voyager and HST services you will find your seat reservation displayed in the electronic seat reservation system. If there are problems with your seat reservation, please speak to the Train Manager. On our Turbostar services, it is not possible to reserve a seat on the day of travel.

Seats which can be reserved during the train's journey will display the message 'Available, but reservable en-route(origin)to(destination), e.g. 'Available, but reservable en-route Bournemouth to Manchester'. This means that the seat is currently available but may be reserved by other customers during the train's journey.  If you buy a ticket with a reservation, or use our Ten minute reservation service, the display will change to reflect your reservation.

What about my ticket?

It is your responsibility to ensure that you hold the correct ticket for the journey you are making. A ten minute reservation does not replace your travel ticket. See our Terms and conditions for further details.

Tell us what you think

We welcome feedback regarding your experience using the service. Please e-mail us at tenminutereservations@crosscountrytrains.co.uk.