Most uncomfortable seating

[ASharpe]

A window seat on a pendolino, I just don't fit in them.

Pacers with the 2+1 bench seats are not that bad for journeys up to an hour in my opinion.

 

[cf111]

I've never been a fan of the seats in the ScotRail 170s.

 

[GodAtum]

FGW 166, hated spending a few hours in them.

 

[43074]

The seats in 2+3 Desiros (350/2, 360 or 450) are terrible: they're too narrow and feel cramped if you have to sit between the window and someone else.

And the seats fitted to the new 377/6s and 378s are uncomfortable because of the lack of padding.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Pendolino standard seats are god-awful. Voyagers are fine, but I rarely use a coach that isn't coach D.

 

[91103eastcoast]

After spending an hour an a half in a 321 from London to Peterborough, I can safely say that these are the most uncomfortable seats I have ever encountered.

(Having said that, I haven't had the oppurtunity / misfortune to encounter a merseytravel pacer).

 

[Goldfish62]

After spending an hour an a half in a 321 from London to Peterborough, I can safely say that these are the most uncomfortable seats I have ever encountered.

(Having said that, I haven't had the oppurtunity / misfortune to encounter a merseytravel pacer).

I agree - those 1980's seats fitted in the 319/321/456 and others are truly awful. Ridiculously low so you splay you knees when you sit, thus exacerbating the narrowness of the seats. Plus they lean right back, so you can't sit upright, which makes the restricted legroom in the facing seats even more cramped. I'm so glad that SWT is fitting Grammer seats in its refurbished 456s.

But that's just my opinion - it's all subjective, eg, I find the 2006 stock seats fine despite lack of padding because the seat profile suits me well.

 

[Qwerty133]

A window seat on a pendolino, I just don't fit in them.

Pacers with the 2+1 bench seats are not that bad for journeys up to an hour in my opinion.

though the bench seated pacers were 3+2?

 

[PHILIPE]

Table seats on FGW 158s. I find it a struggle trying to get my legs under the tables due position of the table leg.

 

[Welshman]

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 glad to find I'm not the only one who finds the "Mallard" seats very uncomfortable!

With me, it's the fact the seat is one-piece, with a moulded curve where you'd normally have a cushion and seat back.

My spine just doesn't fit this curve, and after a journey from Leeds to Kings Cross and back recently, I had very painful sciatica the following day.

The first class seats on "Gerald" from North Wales to Cardiff are similarly-shaped, and on the odd occasions Mrs W and I have treated ourselves to breakfast/dinner on that train, I've had to keep getting-up and walking around.

Which does little to aid the digestion!

 

[TEW]

Got to be 376 seats for me. They're just a metal frame with some fabric on top. No padding at all.

 

[Hophead]

I'm also not a fan of the 375/377 seats, the armrests are too high which makes them feel very cramped.

On the contrary - one of the few units on which the armrests serve a useful purpose (i.e. they're at the right height for, er, arms). Most seem to be little more than low-level seat dividers, esp SWT 159s & 442s (when they had them) & Southern 442s now.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

though the bench seated pacers were 3+2?

They were, with the exception of 141s which were 2+2. Assumed asharpe's was just a typo though.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I've never been a fan of the seats in the ScotRail 170s.

same here - in fact, me, Scotrail and seats have many fallouts - 170s, 156s, the Haymarket Based unrefurbed 158s and the 380s all pritty grim in my view.↲ the 25 refurbed Inverness based 158s, the 334s, the cupple of x Northern 158s and seating in lounge and seated parts of the sleaper are all liked muchly by me!↲

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'm glad to find I'm not the only one who finds the "Mallard" seats very uncomfortable!

With me, it's the fact the seat is one-piece, with a moulded curve where you'd normally have a cushion and seat back.

My spine just doesn't fit this curve, and after a journey from Leeds to Kings Cross and back recently, I had very painful sciatica the following day.

I would also agree the Mallard seating is the worst on the network for pretty much the same reasons; I have found that I would need to sit on a cushion roughly 8 or 9 inches deep in order to get the back of the seat anything near to matching the shape of my back.

The 377/6 have particularly hard seats, but at least the shape of them is much better.

 

[Strathclyder]

Going slightly OT here, but the absolute worst seating on any form of public transport I've ever used is the Urban 90 seating found on a good number of Enviros & Darts in my area. Backbreaking isn't the word.

 

[cjmillsnun]

On the contrary - one of the few units on which the armrests serve a useful purpose (i.e. they're at the right height for, er, arms). Most seem to be little more than low-level seat dividers, esp SWT 159s & 442s (when they had them) & Southern 442s now.

Have to disagree, the SWT 442 armrests were the perfect height for me. And those seats were comfy. The worst? class 450. You get very cosy with your fellow passengers in rush hour!

 

[Craglad1975]

I would have to say the last coach on the scotrail sleeper to Inverness is the most uncomfortable seats I've used but I will say I soon moved and got a cabbin and slept like a log but the seating in the last coach is in a word a joke

 

[317663]

I was on a class 315 on the way to romford on the fast line and the seats were fine considering the vibration of the traction, but boy, those 321s are hideous!

 

[lincolnshire]

I would also agree the Mallard seating is the worst on the network for pretty much the same reasons; I have found that I would need to sit on a cushion roughly 8 or 9 inches deep in order to get the back of the seat anything near to matching the shape of my back.

I also agree with both of you that East Coast must have the hardest seats that I have sat on for the length of Journey, Doncaster to Kings Cross is bad enough so dread to think what Inverness / Kings Cross will be like a definately a num bum journey. Would rather sit on a pacer seat than East Coast,s seats. If there is a choice of trains at Doncaster would rather catch a Hull Trains or Grand Central instead who have some decent seats fitted to them and better interior than East Coast as far as I am concerned.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Doncaster to Kings Cross is bad enough so dread to think what Inverness / Kings Cross will be like a definately a num bum journey.

If one was going from London to Inverness, then the obvious choice for comfort would be a berth on the Sleeper wouldn't it?

 

[Minstral25]

This discussion will be academic in 2016/8 when the extremely uncomfortable Class 700's are introduced.

The standard class seats are tiny (I mean really tiny), there is no leg room, armrests or seat trays. Nor is there much space for a bag/handbag etc.

The commuters of Peterborough, Cambridge, and Brighton are unlikely to like them at all.

 

[cf111]

same here - in fact, me, Scotrail and seats have many fallouts - 170s, 156s, the Haymarket Based unrefurbed 158s and the 380s all pritty grim in my view.↲ the 25 refurbed Inverness based 158s, the 334s, the cupple of x Northern 158s and seating in lounge and seated parts of the sleaper are all liked muchly by me!↲

I think it's the arm-rests that annoy me the most, they're tiny!

I live in the far north, so I'm lucky with the refurbished 158s which are very nice trains. Seeing a Haymarket unit turn up at Thurso for a trip to Inverness is quite annoying. Thankfully it happens less and less.

 

[stut]

This discussion will be academic in 2016/8 when the extremely uncomfortable Class 700's are introduced.

The standard class seats are tiny (I mean really tiny), there is no leg room, armrests or seat trays. Nor is there much space for a bag/handbag etc.

The commuters of Peterborough, Cambridge, and Brighton are unlikely to like them at all.

Are they that bad? I know we're lucky with the 365s at the moment. Hmm, I must make sure I go along to the demonstrator at King's Cross in a week or so...

 

[overtonchris]

Worst for me by far was a Voyager trip (in two legs) - Basingstoke to Scotland last year. Excruciating. No upholstery in seats to speak of (although my backside is amply self- supplied!) - and back support was dreadful. Thought the Pendo back as far as Brum was perfectly good however.....Ergonomics is a wonderful thing....when it works for all people, all of the time.

Slight tangent........worst EVER mid-distant seat was a Brussels - Cologne Thalys. Seats cramped and awful and positioned as off-line to a window view as could be possibly imagined. Hideous.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Other than the obvious (Merseytravel 142s) the worst seating on any 'proper' train in GB for me is the Voyagers. I'm generally fairly tolerant of seat pitch/shape that isn't quite to my liking, but 3 hours on a Voyager will leave me able to make a claim for sponsorship by the Ministry of Silly Walks! I suppose it doesn't help that I'm only 5'8" but I'm all legs!

I was never a fan of IC70s either, but not really because they were uncomfortable- just that the fixed armrests made it very difficult to get in/out of the window seat!

Most comfortable standard class seats are the ex-Transpennine 158s: the originals but with lots of extra padding in them. As for first class, I don't travel very often but I always remember the 1st class seats in the MML and Hull Trains 170s were sumptuous!

 

[shaun]

Suburban - Was going to say Pacers original bus seats, but remembered the Class 315s still have their original low-back seats. Urgh.

Long-Distance - Voyager/Pendolinos. Standard class seats too narrow and firm for long trips, worse in Pendos as they are missing an armrest on the window seat! Coach seats are more comfortable! First class seats too small and cheap to warrant the upgrade price.

 

[orpine]

Good thread.
I remember my school bus days (the 90's) - some of the seats there were hard plastic; I've been on a few bad train seats (London Midlands) but none of them had anything on those bus seats. They weren't even bucket seats either so you'd slide around!

 

[ert47]

Good thread.
I remember my school bus days (the 90's) - some of the seats there were hard plastic; I've been on a few bad train seats (London Midlands) but none of them had anything on those bus seats. They weren't even bucket seats either so you'd slide around!

I remember they had hard plastic seats at the back of the top deck of the LT Leyland Titans/Olympians and the MCW Metrobuses. You get fully acquainted with the person next to you every time the bus goes around a corner!

</off-topic>

As I tend to keep things in my back pocket, I particularly find 378 seats highly uncomfortable, a close second is the tip-up seat in the wheelchair section of a 377.

 

[orpine]

I remember they had hard plastic seats at the back of the top deck of the LT Leyland Titans/Olympians and the MCW Metrobuses. You get fully acquainted with the person next to you every time the bus goes around a corner!

That sounds like exactly it! Same position.
Sorry, back on topic now.