1st Class on SWT

[Butts]

Will be travelling from Waterloo to Cosham and back in July on 1st Class Advanced Tickets at a total cost of around £23 using my Railcard.

No seats allocated - will I get one ?? - ex Waterloo around 10am and ex Cosham around 4pm.

Take it no Lounges or Drinks Trolleys aka Avanti/LNER.

If I do get a seat are they comfy ?

 

[spyinthesky]

Should be a pretty safe bet for a seat both ways, you are correct about the lack of refreshments.
Seats are nothing to write home about.

 

[Butts]

Should be a pretty safe bet for a seat both ways, you are correct about the lack of refreshments.
Seats are nothing to write home about.

Thanks for the information.

 

[alistairlees]

SWT have the best 1st class south of the Thames. You should get a 450 which has a small compartment like section of 1st at each end of each unit. This can be very pleasant to travel in.

 

[DelW]

SWT have the best 1st class south of the Thames. You should get a 450 which has a small compartment like section of 1st at each end of each unit. This can be very pleasant to travel in.

That (in bold) isn't setting the bar high, though I assume you meant SWR.

SWT actually had better first class, with 2+1 in the 444s. SWR's refurb downgraded it to 2+2 in both types of Desiro (444 and 450). It's better than the standard class 3+2 in the 450s but little better than the standard class 2+2 in the 444s.

There are no reservations or refreshments anywhere on SWR, but the OP will be travelling against the main flow and there should be plenty of space. Seat cushions are thin and firm but not as bad as some.

 

[alistairlees]

That (in bold) isn't setting the bar high, though I assume you meant SWR.

SWT actually had better first class, with 2+1 in the 444s. SWR's refurb downgraded it to 2+2 in both types of Desiro (444 and 450). It's better than the standard class 3+2 in the 450s but little better than the standard class 2+2 in the 444s.

There are no reservations or refreshments anywhere on SWR, but the OP will be travelling against the main flow and there should be plenty of space. Seat cushions are thin and firm but not as bad as some.

Yes, I meant SWR. It doesn't really matter what the history is. As I said, SWR's 1st can be a pleasant experience - nicer seats, more tables (aligned with windows I think), fewer people etc. If you are travelling a long distance and want to relax or get some work done then it's a good idea, if the price difference is not too much. The same can't be said for Southern or Thameslink. Southeastern no longer has 1st class but, when it recently did, it was not really worth it anyway (the seats were actually worse).

 

[Butts]

Are there regular ticket checks to prevent any incursion into the 1st Class Section ?

 

[DelW]

Are there regular ticket checks to prevent any incursion into the 1st Class Section ?

I'm usually in standard (as above, personally I don't find first worth it) and I would say I see checks by the conductor on around a third of my journeys. But I'd be very surprised if you find any issues, most SWR trains are quiet and well-behaved with a very few exceptions around football matches and times when lots of teenagers are travelling together, neither of which should be relevant to your trip.