Most uncomfortable seating

[90sWereBetter]

Whilst getting off a Southern 455 at Victoria on Saturday morning, I noted 377601 sitting at the platform opposite waiting to leave for Caterham. Whilst I didn't get on it, I could see the seating and good word, did it look uncomfortable. Very, very thin seats.

So, it got me wondering, which stock has the most uncomfortable seating? From my observations, it would appear to be a tie between the 376s and the 377/6s (although I am yet to travel on either. )

Inb4 the suggestions of 142s and other Pacers.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Bizarrely, Coach C on FGW 158's is absolutely horrendous. The seats droop down and you feel as if your bum is going to fall off, yet by contrast, the normal configuration in Coaches A and B is the best seating ever, however the severe lack of legroom outweighs it!

I also think Voyager seats are ever so slightly too firm for such long distances too, but now isn't the time for an anti-Voyager thread

 

[Crossover]

Ex-Merseytravel Pacers...awful awful things!

 

[Nym]

1996TS Tube Stock on the Jubilee Line...

Doesn't seem to be any pading on the seats at all

 

[Beveridges]

Pacers. Especially the ex-Mersey Rail types.

 

[DarloRich]

Pendolino or Voyager - hateful

 

[causton]

1996TS Tube Stock on the Jubilee Line...

Doesn't seem to be any pading on the seats at all

There used to be! However with the new seating, there is none

 

[SS4]

Pendolino or Voyager - hateful

Seconded, it's such a squeeze and I'm not that fat

 

[47802]

Pacers. Especially the ex-Mersey Rail types.

Yes those are very bad, I don't find the 350's particularly comfortable either especially the 3 + 2 versions, I haven't been on a 377/6 yet so couldn't say, although I suspect we will have to get used to it, what's the betting that the 387's will have similar seating to the 377/6 and the new 700's look similar.

Pendo and voyager not brilliant but I don't think they are that bad.

 

[Class83]

London Midland 350/2's are pretty bad. Well actually they're probably fine for commuter work, but not Birmingham-Liverpool.

 

[user15681]

Whilst getting off a Southern 455 at Victoria on Saturday morning, I noted 377601 sitting at the platform opposite waiting to leave for Caterham. Whilst I didn't get on it, I could see the seating and good word, did it look uncomfortable. Very, very thin seats.

So, it got me wondering, which stock has the most uncomfortable seating? From my observations, it would appear to be a tie between the 376s and the 377/6s (although I am yet to travel on either. )

Inb4 the suggestions of 142s and other Pacers.

The 375/9 seats are similar to the 376 and 377/6 seats.

 

[prod_pep]

378 seating is dreadful.

 

[Nym]

378 seating is dreadful.

They are quite comfortable even if you do have to sit sideways though, they have a very nice seat width for rump space.

 

[Qwerty133]

Unpopular opinion time: IC70s.

 

[route:oxford]

IC70 seats - awful.

Absolutely no head support whatsoever. The only thing worse would be the Mk2 stock where the seats had head rests (wings) so narrow and low that it was impossible to sit back.

 

[Bald Rick]

(Slightly OT)

Any Virgin A330. By some distance the most uncomfortable seat I've ever been in, and that includes Pacers, a dentist's chair, and the interview suite at Camden Nick.

 

[O L Leigh]

The driver's seat in the Cl170. And that's the only seat in the entire train that is occupied for the whole trip. And no, you can't drive them standing up. The only seat worse than that is the waffle iron that passes for the secondman's seat.

O L Leigh

 

[387star]

Why do voyager seats have a pointless bar under them?

 

[prod_pep]

They are quite comfortable even if you do have to sit sideways though, they have a very nice seat width for rump space.

Last time I sat down on a 378 there was virtually no padding on the seat. Very comfortable indeed.

 

[Mikey C]

1996TS Tube Stock on the Jubilee Line...

Doesn't seem to be any pading on the seats at all

It's rare I get to sit down, but the seats on the 2009 stock have extraordinarily short seat cushions, you feel like you're perching on them. By contrast the ones on the S stock are quite nice.

 

[Lrd]

Why do voyager seats have a pointless bar under them?

Foot rest.

 

[fireftrm]

Bus seat Pacers

 

[CarltonA]

For a combination of seat hardness plus distance try a Chiltern 172 from London to Birmingham. I believe they are sometimes combined with a 168 for this journey.

 

[pemma]

Depends on the journey made. A Merseytravel 142 has worse seating than a TPE 185 but if you did Stockport-Manchester on a Merseytravel 142 followed by Manchester-Edinburgh on a 185 I think you might have more objection to a few hours sitting on a 185 seat than 10-15 minutes on a Merseytravel 142.

 

[Beveridges]

Depends on the journey made. A Merseytravel 142 has worse seating than a TPE 185 but if you did Stockport-Manchester on a Merseytravel 142 followed by Manchester-Edinburgh on a 185 I think you might have more objection to a few hours sitting on a 185 seat than 10-15 minutes on a Merseytravel 142.

But you could easily do a 1 hr 30 min journey each way on a Pacer

 

[pemma]

But you could easily do a 1 hr 30 min journey each way on a Pacer

Or worse on a journey involving a change. What about Southport to Dore, for instance?

However, the point I was making was it depends how long you spend on a train as to how comfortable the seating is.

 

[Yew]

I'm not particuarly fond of the standard class seats on 'Mallard' refurbished HST's it feels like im going to slide off. I'm not particuarly fond of the Gammer seats on EMT's 158's either. Very hard, very upright and a bit claustrophobic.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The most uncomfortable seats are definitely the ex-Merseyrail 142 seats. No leg room and the seat back is far too upright. The other types of 142 seats- the bus seats, the ex-ATN seats and the ex-Valley Line seats- are all perfectly comfortable.

I don't like the ex-NSE seats you get on 321s, 365s and 319s. The squab is too short and the facing seats are too close together, so there's no legroom. Not to mention the fact the 3+2 seats are really too narrow. A special mention to the monstrosities on Abellio 315s, mind.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Another vote for Merseytravel 142s here, though when they were new they seemed like an improvement on the original bus seats. The 142s that spent time with FGW seem to have had the cushions re-stuffed besides being re-covered though, and there's also a bit more knee-room than the Merseytravel ones.

Going back 15 years or so, the original seating on 313s/315s/455s/507/508s was far worse than even the worst 142s though!

 

[317666]

The seats fitted to 172s and 379s - doesn't feel like there's been any attempt to make them comfortable in any way. I'm also not a fan of the 375/377 seats, the armrests are too high which makes them feel very cramped.

I must admit I don't think the original 313/314/315/507/508 seats are that bad at all, provided you sit up reasonably straight. Although of course they should only be used on commuter services.