Class 377 First Class

[swt_passenger]

Seeing as we keep hearing how difficult it is to realise that you are in a First area on a SN 377, I thought I'd take a few pics.

Not too detailed, because from the phone camera, so the words 'First Class' on each of the twelve headrests isn't easily made out, but there are loads of signs in this one, selected at random yesterday. And of course there are also all the exterior markings, and those on the inside of the vestibule doors as well, that I mentioned in the fares and ticketing forum yesterday. Note the pictograms on the inside and outside of the glass partitions - that's where they tell you about the penalty fares if you don't have a First ticket.

 

[MK Tom]

It's the lack of a door that's really stupid, plus the fact the seating is pretty much exactly the same quality as the standard seating in the end carriages. I BELIEVE the FC at the other end of the unit does have a door though?

 

[Turbostar]

Well, seems very obvious to me the difference between first & standard class.

 

[southerner2174]

Only the 377/4's have doors separating 1st class from standard, the 377/1's, 377/2's and 377/3's have no separating doors between 1st and standard class

 

[swt_passenger]

Well, seems very obvious to me the difference between first & standard class.

+1.

People who post otherwise in PF query threads are clutching at very short straws IMHO...

 

[First class]

And pictures similar to those will be given to the defendant in his prosecution bundle!

First Class on commuter routes/stock isn't about comfort, it's more about getting a pretty much guaranteed seat and an ego boost .

 

[PFX]

First Class on commuter routes/stock isn't about comfort, it's more about getting a pretty much guaranteed seat and an ego boost .

Don't forget the antimacassar. Crucial to any 1st Class worth its salt.

 

[Class377/5]

And with the 377/5 is a case of door in a declassified area, same seats but no head rest thingy and different signs.

 

[lookingforit35]

Don't forget the antimacassar. Crucial to any 1st Class worth its salt.

And the pleasure of being surrounded by lager drinking ticketless chavs if you travel outside the peak

 

[jopsuk]

And pictures similar to those will be given to the defendant in his prosecution bundle!

First Class on commuter routes/stock isn't about comfort, it's more about getting a pretty much guaranteed seat and an ego boost .

And paying vastly, vastly more for your season ticket.

 

[lewisf]

And paying vastly, vastly more for your season ticket.

Well, about half as much again when I looked into it out of curiosity.

But I agree with the OP, it is really obvious that the 1st class on 377s IS first class. The 450s and 350s have the same seating in 1st as Southern 377s, but there are at least doors and it's better than the 3+2 throughout the rest of the train.

 

[rdwarr]

I'd be surprised if it wasn't obvious to forum members. Whether it's obvious to people who rarely use trains or are from another country is a different matter.

 

[Mystic Force]

I hope you had a first class ticket in your possession when you took those picture as quite clearly you were in the first class section when you took them. I do not believe" I just want to take some pics" is listed on the condition of carridge as an acceptable reason to be their on a std class ticket. You will now be prosecuted and will risk forfeiting your children unless you compensate them to the tune of 507,767 GBP. That is if you had a ticket, if you did not have any ticket and never intended to buy one you will instead be removed from the train by a big man and face no further sanction but instead be worshipped by chavs.

 

[jon0844]

I'd be surprised if it wasn't obvious to forum members. Whether it's obvious to people who rarely use trains or are from another country is a different matter.

I am sure most countries have first class too? I certainly manage to spot first class most of the time. In fact, my problem is on some trains where standard is so good that I am worried it might in fact be first class!!

When I travelled in first (when declassified, I might add - very rarely paying to go first) foreign people regularly came in and you could tell from the pointing and chatting (and quite likely mentioning the word first in their language) that they knew, but then decided to sit there anyway. To be honest, if you're living outside the UK then I'd say there's a near 100% chance that the TOC wouldn't take any action against you.

 

[D6975]

We need to differentiate between being able to spot first class and whether or not it is any better than second (sorry - standard).

I think that first class is easy to spot, the signs really are there in abundance and there's no excuse for not seeing them (apart from the obvious).

Many units now have first class that is pretty much the same as standard, but with antimacassars. As others have said, getting a seat and sometimes being slightly removed from the riff-raff like me is what you're paying for, not a more comfortable seat.
In contrast, in some places first is much better, 2+1 seating, nearly all seats round tables etc.

As an extra point - anyone else noticed the huge differences in the first class premium between TOCs? On some a first advance is only a few quid more than a standard advance, on others it's as much as double the price. I've even come across examples where the cheapest standard advance has sold out and a first advance is cheaper than the second tier of standard advance fares.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

I am sure most countries have first class too?

It would appear that cultural differences between countries can be greater than one might imagine:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-16983788

 

[David Goddard]

It is normally quite clear which is First owing to the prescence of antimacassars, but not always, as FGW uses them in Standard on its HSTs.

One issue is that on mordern Multiple Units, First Class is not always in the same part of the train, and this has been the case for some time.

When the early DMUs were introduced, First Class was always located in a Driving end of the train, and this pattern followed through into classes such as the 165/166s at work on First Great Western, the latter with FC at both ends. Likewise the Cl170 First Class areas are in the driving cars.

With EMUs, most modern units follow a similar pattern, with the First Class at one or both ends of the set. The major exception is the Cl350/450 Desiro, where one of the inner cars is a TCO. Such siting come as a surprise, given that all others are at the ends

Class 317s were supplied with FC in a middle car, and on refurbishment of the second batch (317/2), these moved to the ends, in line with the 319s and 321s. This move suggests that centre siting of First Class is not the best position, and putting it at driving ends is more preferred.