Great British Rail - Seat Specification

[colchesterken]

mmmmm, Anyone remember the original 302-309 seats springs etc
O dear I am back in the good old days

 

[chiltern trev]

The W-S report is effectively implementing the recommendations from the RSSB seating report in 2019

Is there a link to the above RSSB 2019 seating report please.

 

[thenorthern]

As others have said seating types depend on the train. For long distance services over an hour standard class seating is normally 2+2 as passengers want to feel comfortable. On commuter trains where the journey is less than an hour there is often 2+3 seating as it's more important that everyone gets a seat.

 

[GoneSouth]

Seats are a really subjective issue. What’s good for one person isn’t necessarily for another and nobody’s opinion of an individual seat is the right one

This ^

Agreed so looking forward to Great British Rail introducing 5 classes of seats on any new 5 car train orders...

Park bench, pacer bus seat, ironing board, IC3000, leather Chesterfield

 

[Mogz]

Oh for the days of sprung MK1 seats...

 

[physics34]

Seats are a really subjective issue. What’s good for one person isn’t necessarily for another and nobody’s opinion of an individual seat is the right one (although some posters on here don’t get that point and like telling everyone that they’re right end of story and woe betide anyone who disagrees with them).

For me I want a comfortable seat base but I also want a fairly upright firm seat back which aids posture and prevents backache which soft laid back seats can cause (for instance I never recline a seat on a plane or in FC on a train). I actually find the SC Voyager seats are one of the comfiest around as they tick the boxes for what I want.

I hate the term ironing board seat. I’ve sat in plenty of them for decent lengths of time on Northern services and not suffered at all. I’ll probably be told I’m wrong but my opinion is that I know my own mind and body.

Ironing board is overused as a term. Should just be used for fainsa seats used in 700s, 707s and later 377s as it is literally shaped and padded like an ironing board

I have no real problems with any railway seat. I find them all reasonably comfortable enough for the rail journeys I’ve undertaken. The only issues I have is with the armrests on the Southern 377 units that I find very uncomfortable and the seats nearest the window on the SWR 450s where you are pressed against the side of the train and nowhere to put your foot as the heaters get in the way!

The latter problem occurs also with 700, 707 and 717 classes

mmmmm, Anyone remember the original 302-309 seats springs etc
O dear I am back in the good old days

Ive been told springs in seat bases cant be used anymore because the spring creates a void area for a fire to occur !!! To me it is heavy overkill especially if u look back at train fires, deaths and history in general. There is no need for this regulation IMO

 

[NoRoute]

What about the seat covering?

Some European trains use a leather or vinyl type material which generally looks a lot more hygienic and must be easier to keep clean. A lot of British trains tend to use fabric, which gets dirty, presumably must be difficult to clean because it often looks tired and grubby, particularly the head rests.

 

[Royston Vasey]

That's the Grammer IC3000, the king of seating (but quite expensive, hence why it's not common).

Amazing how times change. I was on these boards almost 15 years ago, around the time when FGW started to refurbish the HSTs, the "high" and "hard" Grammar seats very much split opinion in this parish, I seem to remember more negative than positive reaction! IC70 seats seem a lot less popular now than they were then.

The claustrophobic high density harshly lit layout didn't help perception of the refurbs either.

I must admit I didn't much like them on my first trip to Wales compared to IC70s, now I actively seek out the "lovely comfy" EMT 158s on any East to West trip!


Project Mallard had also just been completed at the time on NXEC Mk 3s, to what I remember being largely universal acclaim, and they always did feel more premium than FGW's. Perhaps it was also the lack of garish and cold colours.

 

[GoneSouth]

What about the seat covering?

Some European trains use a leather or vinyl type material which generally looks a lot more hygienic and must be easier to keep clean.

This seems to be the way forward for many new buses in the uk so yeah why not.

 

[Mat17]

The comfiest trains I ever travelled on were 104s. I just want a settee.

 

[GoneSouth]

The comfiest trains I ever travelled on were 104s. I just want a settee.

So we’re all coming around to the leather Chesterfield idea

 

[alistairlees]

The comfiest trains I ever travelled on were 104s. I just want a settee.

Previously available on Caledonian sleeper of course.

 

[Butts]

From my experience both Train and Aircraft Seats have diminished in quality and comfort over the last few years.

The only ones that seemed to have improved are Coach Seats and some Bus ones - ironic really that pauper transportation is improving !!

 

[Bletchleyite]

From my experience both Train and Aircraft Seats have diminished in quality and comfort over the last few years.

The only ones that seemed to have improved are Coach Seats and some Bus ones - ironic really that pauper transportation is improving !!

One thing that has got better, possibly as a result of thinner seats, is legroom. The 80x are excellent in this regard. I don't like Fainsa Sophias a lot, but I'd take an 80x over a Pendolino as at least I fit in all the seats.

 

[Mogz]

One thing that has got better, possibly as a result of thinner seats, is legroom. The 80x are excellent in this regard. I don't like Fainsa Sophias a lot, but I'd take an 80x over a Pendolino as at least I fit in all the seats.

I’m with you there. Leg room and seat comfort would both be great but if I have to choose (ie compromise) I would go for leg room every time.

That’s why I prefer the GWR IET’s over the refurbed HST’s.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I don't think we need anymore 2+3 seating, the seats are too small for most people and they left very little space to stand

 

[321over360]

I think the worst Train seats ive ever been on are the 360s (now ex GA), Class 375/9s standard class ironing board seats of Southeastern, the LO Class 378 seats which are very solid and not nice to sit on even for 20 minutes, the Crossrail/TFL Rail Class 345 (all seats) though believe 710s have similar to the 345s Longitudinal seats as why are TFL specced National Rail trains fitted with the worst seating going, they are worse than any tube stock seat, and in the case of the 345s, worse than the seats of the trains which they replace on the GEML which had a habit of coming apart very easily but were still more pleasant to sit on, though wonder if any changes may happen given LO and TFL Rail services will have to take on the great british railways branding including the BR Logo adopted to the fleet

 

[Energy]

though wonder if any changes may happen given LO and TFL Rail services will have to take on the great british railways branding including the BR Logo adopted to the fleet

I don't think they have to.

 

[physics34]

I don't think we need anymore 2+3 seating, the seats are too small for most people and they left very little space to stand

First trip on a 720 the other day. Very difficult to walk through if you have anything more than a bit of a gut. Crazy really. Slight worry in an evacuation?!

 

[gordonthemoron]

First trip on a 720 the other day. Very difficult to walk through if you have anything more than a bit of a gut. Crazy really. Slight worry in an evacuation?!

exactly, tje new Thameslink trains have far more space than the trains they replaced

 

[Bletchleyite]

First trip on a 720 the other day. Very difficult to walk through if you have anything more than a bit of a gut. Crazy really. Slight worry in an evacuation?!

I have to turn slightly sideways in 175s so that's not new!

A train isn't like a plane with regard to evacuations, they are basically never urgent and are better slow and considered, which is why stuff put by doors isn't treated as seriously as it is on planes.

 

[Neptune]

A train isn't like a plane with regard to evacuations, they are basically never urgent and are better slow and considered, which is why stuff put by doors isn't treated as seriously as it is on planes.

I take it you’ve never been involved in an emergency evacuation of a train. From personal experience it’s very urgent when the train is on fire.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I take it you’ve never been involved in an emergency evacuation of a train. From personal experience it’s very urgent when the train is on fire.

There are not many things likely to cause a modern EMU to actually be on fire, of course. A DMU may be different, but these aren't DMUs.

 

[physics34]

exactly, tje new Thameslink trains have far more space than the trains they replaced

Theyve gone to the other extreme! Narrow seats, huge aisle

 

[Mikey C]

exactly, tje new Thameslink trains have far more space than the trains they replaced

And far fewer seats. Why not rip out all the seats, then you can have even more people crammed in

 

[Bletchleyite]

Theyve gone to the other extreme! Narrow seats, huge aisle

In my experience with the Northern 195s it's the standbacks that make circulation really easy when full and standing, so you could have those seats a bit wider and it'd still work.

 

[Neptune]

There are not many things likely to cause a modern EMU to actually be on fire, of course. A DMU may be different, but these aren't DMUs.

There are more reasons for an emergency evacuation than an on train fire. I was using that as an example of what I personally have been involved in.

You stated that evacuations on trains are ‘never urgent’. That is simply not true.

 

[Meglodon 5]

Unless I’m not completely mistaken, i think the seats are meant to be ironing board black with grey trimmings. Iron board seats are cheap, don’t forget.