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Best first class seats from worst to best

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387gwr

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So, I have been researching first class seats and I want to hear your opinion about this so far, This is what I have done so far: I have not done Northern, ScotRail and others yet
worst to best
1.Southern class 377/6 and 7 fainsa horribus first class

2.Southern class 377/1, 2, 3,4, 5, first class

3.LNWR class 350 first class
southeastern class 465/466/375 first class
GWR class 166 first class
SWR class 444,442, 450 refurbed first class
GWR and LNER first class 800/801/802
 
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Crisps

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LNER “classic stock” first class is amongst the finest you’ll get anywhere in the country (NL65 notwithstanding). Make the most of it before the ECML is fully Azuma-ised. The Azumas are going to be a real downgrade in first class quality for LNER. I believe FGW used the same seats in their HST first class refurbishments? And of course, the same quality decrease has occurred.
 

Marton

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LNER Mallard seats were good till they stopped repairing them under Virgin.

You say you haven’t done Northern yet; do they do any first class? AFAIK not east of the Pennines.
 

cactustwirly

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LNER “classic stock” first class is amongst the finest you’ll get anywhere in the country (NL65 notwithstanding). Make the most of it before the ECML is fully Azuma-ised. The Azumas are going to be a real downgrade in first class quality for LNER. I believe FGW used the same seats in their HST first class refurbishments? And of course, the same quality decrease has occurred.

The best was GWR HSTs, now Scotrail.
EMT HSTs are worse than the 800s, the only stock where the seats are more uncomfortable in first than in standard!
 

dk1

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Anglia 3-car 170s (201-208) have to be some of the best ever & their IC mk2 seats some of the worst.
 

43096

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Best: IC70 first class.
Worst: Gatwick Express 387s: just a doily on the headrest of what is one of the worst standard class seats. Really ought to be an offence under the Trades Description Act to call that first class.

Mind you, I’ve not tried IEP FC yet...
 

infobleep

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I don't know what rolling stock is used on the train I'm on but I'm guessing it's a 377/6 or 7. I boarded the train at East Croydon with others and one person spillt into the first class area and stood.

There is no door to stop them and making them think, I shouldn't be doing this, it's against the terms of my ticket.

I hardly think the OBS is likely to come down and move them out but what about the two people sat down, who were already on the train? I'm assuming they paid for a first class ticket of course. This is a train from Gatwick Airport and Reigate to Victoria so definatly has first class in the timetable.

So when situations like that can occur with such ease, I think that makes the class worse.

Of course do we need to take into account the average price of tickets paid by travellers? If the services these trains were used for, where cheaper than other first class offerings, on average, then having a worse first class might be befitting. Of course that would be very difficult to work out.
 
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dk1

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Beat me to it, shame they're getting rid of them, can't imagine TfW will keep first class.
Although they are introducing it on the CAF units on order. Be interesting to see if they re-seat or just declassify them.
 

Mitchell Hurd

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I don't know what the best and worst is. However, the First Class seats in the XC HST's offer elbow room and are more roomier than the still rather comfortable Voyager ones!

However, the worst First Class seats have to be the ones where someone complained at I think going from Brighton to London (I could be wrong). Basically, I believe the only difference on Southern in First Class is the headrest cloth over the First Class seats. I've only used Southern once (Standard Class) from Shepherd's Bush to Watford Junction with my brother and sister in March 5 years ago.
 

Bletchleyite

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However, the worst First Class seats have to be the ones where someone complained at I think going from Brighton to London (I could be wrong). Basically, I believe the only difference on Southern in First Class is the headrest cloth over the First Class seats. I've only used Southern once (Standard Class) from Shepherd's Bush to Watford Junction with my brother and sister in March 5 years ago.

I personally think there should be a minimum standard for 1st, which would be something like must have one fewer seat across the width of the train (3+2 completely prohibited) or must have at least, say, 4" extra legroom compared with Standard, as well as a partition and door dividing it from the rest of the train.
 

yorksrob

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Best EMT HST first by a country mile.

Worst - those EMU's where first is indistinguishable from standard.
 

DelW

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The best was GWR HSTs, now Scotrail.
Agreed, the GWR refurbs were excellent. Only minor reservation was that many of the single seats went airline instead of bays matching windows.

Worst: Gatwick Express 387s: just a doily on the headrest of what is one of the worst standard class seats. Really ought to be an offence under the Trades Description Act to call that first class.
Applies to many (all?) Southern units too :'(
 

Mikey C

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1st Class on Class 390s may not be the best overall but to me it might be the best improvement over standard on the same train.
 

Clip

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Ahh seating - the most subjective and heavily discussed thing about the railways on here.

Whats nice for one isnt fo r the other - we should really just leave it as that rather than having the same people say the same things about the same seats over and over, no?
 

DarloRich

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If you could actually get a seat there! :rolleyes:

I could. Get on first at Kings Cross. Give people the old this is first class ( even though it isnt) and you look like an oik stare. Answer the question is this first class with I am not sure. Suggest they go and find the guard at the other end of the train. Job done.
 

cactustwirly

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I could. Get on first at Kings Cross. Give people the old this is first class ( even though it isnt) and you look like an oik stare. Answer the question is this first class with I am not sure. Suggest they go and find the guard at the other end of the train. Job done.

Haha, but if you join the train en-route it's not easy to pull that off.
Especially as EMT have recovered the seats into Standard moquette and inserted it slap bang in the middle of the train
 

ForTheLoveOf

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It has been de-badged too, so yes, it is declassified.
It seems that Sheffield-Hull/Driffield is a good shout for these units at the moment, but out of all the ones I saw on my recent visit to the area, all still had the yellow line on the outside, and "first class" stickers on the external windows.
 

Mogz

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I don’t think that a well sprung and upholstered first class seat in a BR Mk 1 compartment coach is ever likely to be bettered for comfort and space.
 

Mogz

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That said, I will add that the GWR IET first class seats are far more comfortable than they look.
 

Bletchleyite

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I don’t think that a well sprung and upholstered first class seat in a BR Mk 1 compartment coach is ever likely to be bettered for comfort and space.

I don't agree, I prefer a firmer seat. In UK terms I think the Pendolino seat is about as good as 1st gets.

That said, I will add that the GWR IET first class seats are far more comfortable than they look.

Despite the above preference for firmish seats I thought them rubbish - definitely not worth Weekend First let alone Anytime fares.
 

ForTheLoveOf

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Despite the above preference for firmish seats I thought them rubbish - definitely not worth Weekend First let alone Anytime fares.
I have to agree with Mogz here - though they are nowhere near as soft as old MkIII seats, the new generation of seats are generally very ergonomic. You get up from them not realising you've sat down in them for X hours. In fact I was pleasantly surprised when I sat in a new-gen Scotrail 156 seat from Glasgow to Mallaig not long ago!
 
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