Worst (current) train interior

[sprinterguy]

2) Merseytravel

I'm reasonably confident that they were actually branded Merseyrail, although the refurb was sponsored by Merseytravel.

 

[tom1649]

I'm reasonably confident that they were actually branded Merseyrail, although the refurb was sponsored by Merseytravel.

They were indeed branded Merseyrail. See this image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37890475@N05/4581900891

 

[pemma]

I'm reasonably confident that they were actually branded Merseyrail, although the refurb was sponsored by Merseytravel.

Merseyrail can mean two completely different things:

1. The name used by the rail division of the Merseyside PTE.
2. The brand name used by the rail operator who are officially registered as Merseyrail Electrics 2002 Ltd. Although, Merseyside PTE refer to them as "Serco/Abeillo Merseyrail".

 

[tom1649]

And who could forget the highly catchy "Arriva Trains Merseyside", although quite correctly the PTE continued to use the Merseyrail brand in all its promotional material during this period.

 

[ainsworth74]

West coast weekend closures between Carlisle and Edinburgh, so Newcastle TPE services are being extended to Edinburgh via the ECML

Though some are still running via the WCML but then taking interesting routes through Scotland (such as via Falkirk).

 

[Blindtraveler]

the scottish diversions are of most interest. To avoid taking the thead off topic could someone PM me with these?? Chances are iv covered it but diversion bashings a little hobby!

 

[class222lover]

I'd say Northern's class 158's, as the seat fabrics always crinkled, lighting is dimmer than a cave and lets face it...Northern have the worst fleet of DMU's and EMU's in Britain!

However!... EMT's class 158's are more stylish, comfortable and have been refurbished to a 1st class standard!

Kind regards
Class222lover

 

[yorksrob]

I'd say Northern's class 158's, as the seat fabrics always crinkled, lighting is dimmer than a cave and lets face it...Northern have the worst fleet of DMU's and EMU's in Britain!

However!... EMT's class 158's are more stylish, comfortable and have been refurbished to a 1st class standard!

Kind regards
Class222lover

To be fair, I prefer to have subdued lighting rather than the stalag luft full flourescent lighting as seems to be the norm these days.

One of the beauties of the old TPE 158's was that they had tasteful lighting.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

To be fair, I prefer to have subdued lighting rather than the stalag luft full flourescent lighting as seems to be the norm these days.

One of the beauties of the old TPE 158's was that they had tasteful lighting.

And that's why when presented with a Northern 3-car 158, I always head for the centre car! Northern's 158s are quite variable in quality- the centre cars (ex-TPE) are the best in my opinion, followed by the WYPTE-sponsored units (901-910). The worst seem to be the ex-Central or the ex-W&W units, as they seem to have a real problem with smells emanating from the toilets!

 

[yorksrob]

And that's why when presented with a Northern 3-car 158, I always head for the centre car! Northern's 158s are quite variable in quality- the centre cars (ex-TPE) are the best in my opinion, followed by the WYPTE-sponsored units (901-910). The worst seem to be the ex-Central or the ex-W&W units, as they seem to have a real problem with smells emanating from the toilets!

Indeed. The depth of the seat cushions differs so much between otherwise similar units.

 

[fgwrich]

And that's why when presented with a Northern 3-car 158, I always head for the centre car! Northern's 158s are quite variable in quality- the centre cars (ex-TPE) are the best in my opinion, followed by the WYPTE-sponsored units (901-910). The worst seem to be the ex-Central or the ex-W&W units, as they seem to have a real problem with smells emanating from the toilets!

And still seem to containt a variety of stickers too, from Central to Wales & Borders due language, and like the Scotrail unrefurbished units - the Reggie Rail Blue stripes along the lugguage rack.

Mind you, sounds like you've had some fairly deccent units as 3 Cars. A friend of mine took one not so long ago out of Hull, only to find that the central carpet strip had been lifted and removed.

 

[150001]

Worst interiors I've known are the Northern Rail 142 Pacers and also the ex London Midland Class 150s. The pacers' low back seating is just a pain and the 150s interior were outdated and in a poor condition with terrible dim colours.

 

[user15681]

To add to this i would also say the Class 375/9s which aren't as bad but still horrible to sit on, especially if they are doing the longer routes (e.g. London Victoria - Ramsgate / Dover or Charing Cross to Margate / Sandwich!)

I have to agree. Awfully uncomfortable if you're going the full 2 hours on them.

 

[bronzeonion]

I have to agree. Awfully uncomfortable if you're going the full 2 hours on them.

Shame Southeastern don't put the /9's on seperate services from the rest of the fleet.

 

[Trainspotter23]

I'm surprised at that, I honestly find the XC HSTs the nicest Mark 3 interior when compared to FGW. The table seats in the centre line up perfectly with the windows, good (or better than voyager) luggage space, cleaner than voyager interior. I may however be swayed by how empty they normally are West of Exeter! Just goes to show how different people can like different things!

Anyway, welcome to the forum!

Hello, and yes, on the southbound journeys (Derby to Birmingham New Street for example) are sometimes full to the brim literally. I have also found that the northbound services (Derby to Sheffield for example) are practically empty sometimes.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

And still seem to containt a variety of stickers too, from Central to Wales & Borders due language, and like the Scotrail unrefurbished units - the Reggie Rail Blue stripes along the luggage rack.

The 'Metro 10' are now only distinguishable (other than by number) by the red stripes in the same place, and by the wall-carpets in the centre-vestibules: the 'Metro' version of the original seat-covers.

Mind you, sounds like you've had some fairly decent units as 3 Cars. A friend of mine took one not so long ago out of Hull, only to find that the central carpet strip had been lifted and removed.

To be fair, it's a good 6 months since I've been on a 3-car unit so I've no idea what sort of a state they're in now. But I can't imagine they'd have ripped up the carpet unless it had been damaged but was unable to be replaced before the unit was required in service- and we know how hard Northern are having to 'sweat the assets'!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

However did I miss this thread...hock:

Merseytravel Class 142 units.....Something that Dante would have written about today had he just been writing "Paradise Lost"..

I used to be referred to as "The Pacerfinder General" when I first joined this forum by one particular forum member....

 

[43021HST]

As I've never been on a claustrophobic pendo (but I have been on a not claustrophobic VT one)I am unable to compare but voyagers are nice units inside and out they may not be long enough but other than that i have found them perfectly acceptable infact nicer than HSTs on all my journeys on them (and before anyone says anything this includes both XC and VT)

What I mean by claustrophobic, is that the windows are much too small which makes the train, seem smaller than what it actually is, and all the partitions along the carriages make the train feel cramped.
Voyagers with their larger windows and some of the sets having more tables than a pendo can actually be quite nice to travel in, I'm not saying they're perfect, for example a disabled toilet in every carriage does seem a bit much, but they're certainly not the worst trains.

As a side note I think the best train interior is the Chiltern train loco hauled MK3s.

 

[NathanPrior]

The East Coast ones are horrid

 

[GatwickDepress]

First Capital Connect's 319s can surely count themselves some as some of the worst interiors currently in use down south. I had the pleasure to travel in one mid-December afternoon, and it was an absolute state: dirty seats, walls, windows, rubbish scattered everywhere - plus it was absolutely freezing. If it was a refurbished unit, perhaps the designers shouldn't draw inspiration from Fallout.

 

[bronzeonion]

First Capital Connect's 319s can surely count themselves some as some of the worst interiors currently in use down south. I had the pleasure to travel in one mid-December afternoon, and it was an absolute state: dirty seats, walls, windows, rubbish scattered everywhere - plus it was absolutely freezing. If it was a refurbished unit, perhaps the designers shouldn't draw inspiration from Fallout.

Those and the Southern Class 455's. Greater Anglias motley fleet of 317's is probably on par or worse than the 319's.

 

[trentside]

I recently did a Coast and Peaks Rover - fortunately, I only encountered two Pacers. Both were the ex-MerseyRail liveried 142s. The things really are uncomfortable and cramped - I don't mind the ex-ATN or ex-FNW units nearly as much, though they're still not great.

I don't mind the EMT 153s at all, some seats don't have enough legroom - but most are ok.

 

[SprinterMan]

I went on a bus seated pacer for the first time at the weekend, and I must say they are not nearly as bad as i expected them to be, in fact I quite like them. Merseyrail ones are still ghastly though.

I am gonna be unpopular here and say 175 interiors are nasty. The seats are too hard, the seat-backs are too low and the mounting points get in the way of where your legs should go.

I have never been on a 222 but the bench seats in standard class look dreadful, and you won't be able to see between the seats as there are no gaps.

Those and the Southern Class 455's. Greater Anglias motley fleet of 317's is probably on par or worse than the 319's.

Greater Anglia 317/6s and /8s are lovely, and /5s would be ok if the walls and floor weren't such a horrible colour. :P

Adam

 

[ainsworth74]

I went on a bus seated pacer for the first time at the weekend, and I must say they are not nearly as bad as i expected them to be, in fact I quite like them.

Out of curiosity was it a busy service? In my experience the bus seat Pacers are reasonable enough trains on quiet services where you can get a bench to yourself (indeed it's quite nice as you can stretch out). But on busy services they're horrible as the benches are realistically 2+1 seating as they're just not wide enough to be 2+3 realistically. Even though that's clearly the intention. The only people I've seen sit five across are primary school kids or couples who don't mind being glued together.

 

[SprinterMan]

Out of curiosity was it a busy service? In my experience the bus seat Pacers are reasonable enough trains on quiet services where you can get a bench to yourself (indeed it's quite nice as you can stretch out). But on busy services they're horrible as the benches are realistically 2+1 seating as they're just not wide enough to be 2+3 realistically. Even though that's clearly the intention. The only people I've seen sit five across are primary school kids or couples who don't mind being glued together.

This is completely true, as I had a bench to myself. It was a lunchtime Chester-Manchester service so was quite quiet, despite the fact the football was on. It would have been unpleasant if I would have had to share my bench :P

Adam

 

[bronzeonion]

I went on a bus seated pacer for the first time at the weekend, and I must say they are not nearly as bad as i expected them to be, in fact I quite like them. Merseyrail ones are still ghastly though.

I am gonna be unpopular here and say 175 interiors are nasty. The seats are too hard, the seat-backs are too low and the mounting points get in the way of where your legs should go.

I have never been on a 222 but the bench seats in standard class look dreadful, and you won't be able to see between the seats as there are no gaps.



Greater Anglia 317/6s and /8s are lovely, and /5s would be ok if the walls and floor weren't such a horrible colour. :P

Adam

The /6's are acceptable but what is even nice about the /8's? Theyre just a /5 with more luggage stacks with the same 2 inches off the ground seats and a dated colour scheme! The /5's are the worst though.

 

[SprinterMan]

The /6's are acceptable but what is even nice about the /8's? Theyre just a /5 with more luggage stacks with the same 2 inches off the ground seats and a dated colour scheme! The /5's are the worst though.

I like the colour scheme and think the soft seats are wonderful :P

Adam

 

[317666]

I like the colour scheme and think the soft seats are wonderful :P

Adam

Agreed, it's nice to have seats that are properly sprung! I prefer a /5 to a /8 though, purely because it has more seats, dimmer lighting and a nicer (in my opinion anyway) colour scheme.

 

[LE Greys]

I'd nominate the high-density 450s. Worst seats + stagnant air = worst interior. However shabby some of the older units may be, it's always a relief to sink down into a BR-vintage cushion and know that one'll at least be comfortable on your journey, especially if one can open the window.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The 322s are lovely and comfortable, providing you have some dark glasses with you! I'm not sure who was responsible for fitting the current interior (I think it may have been FirstScotrail) but I'd like to know what they were thinking!