Hope so as these are long overdue for refurbishment inside. Must be the most threadbare seats around.
Funny you should mention that. I travelled on 2 EMR services yesterday.
A short-formed 6-car HST set. Now I remember travelling on these on the EC and XC in the 80's when they still had the showroom interior and I distinctly remember the smell from the brakes in the vestibules. Now they are looking tired. The table and arm rests were peeling, overhead lighting and luggage racks were grubby. The ride was still good and the seats had plenty of legroom. The whole carriage had an open feel as the seat backs are not excessively high. 7/10 Not bad for a battered old train.
I then boarded a 7-car 222, expecting a more modern feel.
The carriage interior appeared cramped, partly due to the window coating which makes the interior darker but also the presence of high back seating. The electronic seat reservation was working and had replaced the printed cards which were still being used on the HST. But the seats and tables were in an awful state. My seat base was so threadbare it had the foam protruding through cloth.
The arm rests which were for some unknown reason also covered in fabric were frayed and worn, and the headrest areas were noticeably worn and dirty. 5/10 for a younger but less appealing dirty and worn interior.
Forget all the new stickers, branding and colour scheme for the outside - it's the interior which needs a total refit. It was awful.
From my perception, the cloth trim used on the 222's is far too thin and not hard wearing enough for the rigors of daily Inter-City travel. The velour cloth trim used on the HST and which used to be prevalent on older stock wears far better.
EMR have their work cut out rejuvenating this fleet. It needs a total refurb and soon. I only hope they go for fabrics and colours which brighten the overall interior feel of the carriage. A deep burgundy might hide all the dirt, but it would be depressingly dark.
By comparison, I travelled on a refurbished TPE 180 shortly afterwards. While the 3-car unit was well patronised, the light blue fabric, light-grey 'leather' headrests and light-wood velour of the panelling and table tops made the whole interior look light, bright and refreshing. Well done TPE. You just need a 6-car train to cope with the ever increasing passenger numbers.