Had my first experience of a 755 yesterday, and have to say I was impressed. I had high expectations of them, and I wasn't disappointed. I tried various seats, including next to the power car (which as a diesel-head I enjoyed; the noise was of similar level to what you get in a 158), mid coach (no "traction" noise at all) and next to the cab (sounds like an EMU).
The good points:
- level boarding: this is where the use of the power car really scores as it means a low floor can be used. Interesting to see a wheelchair boarding at Brundall with, as far as I could see, no help from on-train staff - just wheeled on.
- seats. Every new train since the 700s has had rubbish seats. The seats on the 755 are massively better than anything since we started getting "ironing boards"; way better than an IET for example.
- build quality. Having used Stadler trains overseas, I'd expect the finish to be good, and it is.
- performance. These things shift, especially on 25kV. I reckon we did 0-60 in around 40secs out of Cambridge North, and it felt like it had something in reserve. Likewise, performance on diesel was much better than the existing fleet, especially the asthmatic 170s.
Downsides
- the strut supporting the cantilever seats is annoying in the window seats, as you can't stretch your legs out.
- slightly harsh ride quality, especially on jointed track when sat over a bogie. They're not bad (much better than the appalling IETs) but not as "soft" as you'd like.
Overall, I'd rate them 9/10. They are a huge upgrade on everything in the GA regional fleet (including 170s), and utterly transformative over 150/153/156 type units. With the level access as well, they really ought to be the new standard for regional trains - if we're serious about getting people out of their cars, we ought to be replacing regional fleets with these rather than the CAF rubbish.