Thameslink train interior changes on the way
Changes to the Thameslink rail fleet could be on the way including new seat cushions after complaints over their firmness.
Class 700 trains have been in service for more than a decade now, though it’s rare for seats or cushioning to be changed so soon into a train’s average 40-year lifespan.
Similarly hard seats were seen on Southeastern’s Class 376 Metro trains introduced a decade before in 2004 and they’ve been in place until a recent light refurbishment.
The Class 700 Thameslink fleet totals 60 8-car trains and 55 12-car trains, with the Department for Transport specifying the train’s interior when ordered. It’s a bit of a mess ever since given some have wi-fi while others don’t, and some have seat-back tables whilst others lack them.
Ideally all the fleet would have trays, wi-fi as well as power points for charging. The inconsistency with on-board features was due to a late change in specification during construction.
Internal feel
A colour change to seats may well be made too which will improve the somewhat stark and cold feel of the trains.
They’re often in a pretty filthy state inside, and the toilet issue became quite something with many ending up like this.
New coverings on toilet walls started to be installed earlier this year (covered on this site back in February) though when the Department for Transport took over direct control in the summer they put out statements suggesting that change was a result of becoming part of GBR (which doesn’t exist yet), though it was well underway by then.
Having said that, the new wall coverings aren’t entirely helping. I was on a Thameslink train this weekend just gone and it looked like a crime scene with many streaks of red (paint presumably) above and around the sink. That was on one with the new wall wraps. Welcoming they arne’t.
I had to laugh seeing Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander state: “This is what public ownership looks like in action. Less than 100 days since GTR transferred into public control, we’re delivering on the improvements commuters have been asking for.”
Yes, the same Heidi Alexander that recently oversaw steep service cuts on Thameslink on the Luton to Rainham route through Greenwich and north Kent as soon as it was taken over by the Department for Transport, halving services for much of the day down to just one train per hour. Funnily enough her PR didn’t cover that.
Thameslink are set to enact cuts again later this year.
Still, though the seats didn’t bother me many will appreciate the change and a new colour scheme will certainly help present a less clinical and “cheap” feel to the trains.
Does it include more comfortable seat padding on the Thameslink Class 700 Desiro City for passenger who use Thameslink and want more comfortable seats. Maybe the same should happen with the seats on the Class 717 used on Great Northern’s Moorgate-Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City route. And to add new comfortable seat padding on the Class 717.
To me that feels like a waste of time and money. I use Thameslink all the time and have never once worried about the seats or the ‘sterile’ look. I am 100X more interested in the Luton-Rainham service or whether my local station has accessibility features or… a dozen other things.
I somewhat agree with Ian. I would much prefer more comfortable, better padded, seats and a more homely, less sterile, design for the interior. But having said that, if there is money to be spent, the priority surely has to be, making sure the trains are there and running in the first place – which means reinstating the withdrawn Woolwich line services.
Definitely need to reinstate the slashed Thameslink Luton-Rainham-Luton services!!!!
I went to meet friends in Bond Street yesterday from Maze Hill.
Usually a train to LBG every 10-15 mins, so just a ‘turn-up’ service, and then the busy Jubilee Line to Bond St. Even if there’s one cancellation or delays (both are frequent), it’s rarely a real issue.
Now… T/Link only hourly! That can mean a wait at MZH of over half an hour even if no problems, so I switched to the DLR (10 min walk) to Canary Wharf with an easy connect to the Liz Line, which is frequent, fast, pretty reliable and none of that awful noise issue u suffer on the Jub line either. That’s now my first choice, so another ‘Great’ British Rail passenger bites the dust.
And for the many people in Kent who need Luton Airport?
U cannot expect people to wait up to an hour for a train, and if there’s just one cancelled then up to two hours! If u have a flight to catch, you’ll miss it, or have to allow a huge amount of extra time, added on to what is likely a long journey anyway.
Kent to Luton prob now longer and less reliable than LTN airport to any European destination.
Outrageous compared to European rail!! And embarrassing to be British, let alone calling it Great British Rail.
All this will do is put more cars back on the road to get from Kent to Luton and back; And then either a taxi costs a bomb, parking and drop-off are dearer too, as is petrol.
Ironically (but convenient for vehicle users), there are now TWO tunnels to help car traffic, all when we are supposed to have a legal requirement to reach net zero. What a joke.
And as for seating, extra padding would be nicer for sure, though more likely these days to get cut up by thick perpetrators of criminal damage. I can still remember the old carriages which had thick padded sprung seating! (though the smoke was very unpleasant haha) Why not, while they’re at it, play some gentle elevator music over the sound system too, and PLEASE find ‘some way’ of penalising those ******* idiots who feel some insane need to violate any new wall surface with inane comments and scribble. All have zero artistic ability anyway. What motivates these idiots?
What aload of rubbish. Im pretty sure I replied to you in one of these articles there is literally 4 direct and fast services from London Bridge to Luton Airport if you are travelling to London Bridge. Anyone like myself who lives in Kent will hop on a train to Victoria if going to an airport. Just complaining for the sake of it.
The ironing board seats on GTR Great Northern Class 717 and Class 387 also needs an upgrade. Not forgetting the GWR Class 387, Class 800 and Class 802. Heathrow Express Class 387/1a. GTR Southern/Gatwick Express Class 387/1/2 & /3. LNER Class 800 and Class 801 Azuma. Transpeninne Express Class 802 Nova 2, Hull Trains Class 802 Paragon, Lumo Class 803 and other new trains that have ironing board seats to have an upgrade.
But it’s nice that Thameslink is to replace the horrible ironing board seats on the Class 700 and to add more comfort for passengers who use Thameslink. Since the Class 700 entered service on June 20th 2016.
What about other train operators. Such as Great Western Railway, Heathrow Express, LNER, South Western Railway, Northern, Transpennine Express, Transport for Wales, Greater Anglia, c2c, West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway), Southern, Gatwick Express and Southeastern to upgrade their trains that have ironing board seats. Which have caused lots of problems for passengers.
Especially ironing board seats installed on the Class 195, Class 196, Class 197, Class 331, Class 387, Class 700, Class 701, Class 707, Class 717, Class 800, Class 801 and Class 802 to have seats that are lot more comfortable. And for passengers not to experience back pains whilst commuting or travelling on trains.
And Scotrail Class 385 that have ironing board seats to be replaced with newer more comfortable seats.
I thinks it’s good that Thameslink is to upgrade their Class 700 trains that the seats have been given such issues for passengers and the complaints about how uncomfortable the seats are.
It’s nice to see that the seats are to be upgraded to become more comfortable. Same could be said for the Great Northern Class 717 used on Moorgate-Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City “Northern City Line”. And seats on other newer trains that have caused problems with passenger to become more comfortable.
It is nice to have a more comfortable seat when travelling long distances.
I think more money money should also be invested in improving service levels between Rainham and Luton and makung sure all stations are safe and accessible.