Southern first class

[387star]

Forgive me but why would anyone pay over the odds for first class on the 377s

Same AstroTurf ripping seats... Serious lack of legroom... Bizarre seating configuration with two seats facing into the aisle... Hit and miss with the sockets and most don't even have sliding doors!!

Compare that to swt!!! Then again the FGW units have better standard class seats in the 158s


No standardisation and little improvement over standard. Boils down to guarantee of a seat I guess
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On a positive note southerner new blue interior panelling is so much better than the old grey which looked horribly dull


The ex connex spec units have a much darker blue I hear this was done in error?

I miss the 377/3s all in London now

 

[Bishopstone]

It does indeed boil down to a seat. Plus a slightly quieter environment, and more opportunity to 'spread' given lighter loadings in FC.

I've a FC season with Southern and commute on East Coastway. It's nice to be able to arrive at London Bridge 'on the whistle' at 17.23, and still be seated. Going up in the morning, some London Bridge trains are full and standing in Standard after Haywards Heath, so only a FC ticket brings reasonable certainty of a seat, and even FC is full or almost full after Gatwick.

And a 'free' coffee from the trolley (where available) is nice

I offset the expense by running a 10 year old car.....

 

[sarahj]

It does indeed boil down to a seat. Plus a slightly quieter environment, and more opportunity to 'spread' given lighter loadings in FC.

I've a FC season with Southern and commute on East Coastway. It's nice to be able to arrive at London Bridge 'on the whistle' at 17.23, and still be seated. Going up in the morning, some London Bridge trains are full and standing in Standard after Haywards Heath, so only a FC ticket brings reasonable certainty of a seat, and even FC is full or almost full after Gatwick.

And a 'free' coffee from the trolley (where available) is nice

I offset the expense by running a 10 year old car.....

Hope you got home tonight ok. I saw the message about your train. I was working the earlier service to littlehampton and a woman came up and asked when the next eastbourne direct train was. I told her, not long, 17.23.

 

[NSE]

I've travelled in similar with FCC but as part of a longer journey. So some people on there may be on a Edinburgh-Brighton ticket. I'd pay for the EC First Class, and hey, why not make use of the Southern part too.

 

[Deepgreen]

The First Class on the 377s was only provided with reluctance by Southern after pressure from the Bridge club brigade on the Brighton line, so they are pretty much identical to the Standard.

Scandalously, even after the refurbishments have been done, the First Class remains very poor, with no difference in ambience (apart from the antimacassars) and feeble signing so that many unsuspecting passengers sit there to be charged penalty fares, or simply to annoy genuine First Class ticket holders. Trains via Gatwick Airport frequently fill the First Class with foreign visitors who don't recognise the First Class as such, because they come from countries where the First Class actually looks different to the Standard!!

 

[387star]

The First Class on the 377s was only provided with reluctance by Southern after pressure from the Bridge club brigade on the Brighton line, so they are pretty much identical to the Standard.

Scandalously, even after the refurbishments have been done, the First Class remains very poor, with no difference in ambience (apart from the antimacassars) and feeble signing so that many unsuspecting passengers sit there to be charged penalty fares, or simply to annoy genuine First Class ticket holders. Trains via Gatwick Airport frequently fill the First Class with foreign visitors who don't recognise the First Class as such, because they come from countries where the First Class actually looks different to the Standard!!

Interesting thanks for that. Southern could presumably make more revenue with proper First Class?

 

[SussexSpotter]

Southern could presumably make more revenue with proper First Class?

When you say ''proper First Class''.....what exactly did you have in mind????

 

[Drsatan]

When you say ''proper First Class''.....what exactly did you have in mind????

When people think of 'first class', what usually pops to mind is relaxing in a chintz armchair while being served a glass of champagne

At least with East Coast and Virgin, there is a distinction between standard and first, even if the complimentary refreshments provided have been downgraded. Nonetheless, you do get more legroom, more comfortable seats (apparently, I've never traveled in First with either of those TOCs) and plug sockets, which is what most travelers would expect.

The real issue with Southern's first class offering is that there's no real distinction between standard in first. To the best of my knowledge, you don't even receive any complimentary refreshments in first (not surprising as I've never seen a trolley on any London to Brighton service)

 

[breadfan]

I happened to join a Southern train at East Croydon for a short journey to Clapham Junction while I was on a First Class All Line Rover last year. The train was busy so I happily took to the first class section. There was three ticket inspectors by the door, one was attentive enough to inform me it was first class. I said I knew, and carried on. He then raised his voice "I said that is first class". I agreed with him. He then decided to shout at me "Do you have a first class ticket?". I replied that I did and asked if there was a dress restriction in first class (I'm a jeans and t shirt type), I showed him my ticket while his colleagues tried to make light of the situation.

The incident still annoys me and I regret not reporting this blatant discrimination, if I was wearing a suit and carrying a laptop I doubt I would have been shouted at. For sitting in a seat with a bit of extra cloth on. Three ticket inspectors in a full and standing carriage, one ticket checked.

 

[SussexSpotter]

When people think of 'first class', what usually pops to mind is relaxing in a chintz armchair while being served a glass of champagne

Indeed .....somehow I can't see that happening onboard Southern's trains though

The real issue with Southern's first class offering is that there's no real distinction between standard in first. To the best of my knowledge, you don't even receive any complimentary refreshments in first (not surprising as I've never seen a trolley on any London to Brighton service)

It would be nice if there was more of a distinction between them, I agree!...

 

[Bishopstone]

Hope you got home tonight ok. I saw the message about your train. I was working the earlier service to littlehampton and a woman came up and asked when the next eastbourne direct train was. I told her, not long, 17.23.

A bad evening for the 17.23. About 15 late leaving London Bridge due to late arrival of the ECS in turn caused by a signal failure at New Cross Gate. Then cancelled at East Croydon after an allegation of assault in coach one, requiring the attendance of BTP. Got home eventually on the 17.57 ex-Victoria.

Thanks for thinking of me

 

[southern442]

Free coffee/refreshments where available, plug sockets so you can watch a movie and I believe more legroom. If you are lucky and get a 377/4 then you will get a better quality seat and if you get a 377/3 you get a bigger table. Also (this is particularly good for peak services) some 377/1's have about 95% 2+3 low quality seating so you have a better seat anyway. Overall if you're lucky then it is actually not that bad.
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Indeed .....somehow I can't see that happening onboard Southern's trains though



It would be nice if there was more of a distinction between them, I agree!...

Even if it's just a partitioning door.

 

[sarahj]

The real issue with Southern's first class offering is that there's no real distinction between standard in first. To the best of my knowledge, you don't even receive any complimentary refreshments in first (not surprising as I've never seen a trolley on any London to Brighton service)[/QUOTE]

Thats strange as there are trollies on most of the fasts!!!

 

[Deepgreen]

There are two types of seat on the 377s - the narrow '2+3' type and the other '2+2' type. The former are only in Standard, and the latter are used in Standard and First alike. The legroom of all '2+2' seating is the same in both classes, except, of course, with the bizarre transverse single seats in the 377/4s.
I know of no other train operator in the world where First and Standard class seating is identical, and the overall accommodation so very similar! Southern have clearly never accepted that First was required, contradicting their original plans, and have grudgingly provided the bare minimum. The irony is that many 377s used to have purple '2+2' seat covers in some sections before the 'refurbishment', and these could easily have been re-used in First, which at least would have visually distinguished First from Standard, even if the quality was no better.

 

[southern442]

There are two types of seat on the 377s - the narrow '2+3' type and the other '2+2' type. The former are only in Standard, and the latter are used in Standard and First alike. The legroom of all '2+2' seating is the same in both classes, except, of course, with the bizarre transverse single seats in the 377/4s.
I know of no other train operator in the world where First and Standard class seating is identical,

Southeastern 375's have absolutely NO difference, and often smaller tables.

 

[387star]

There are two types of seat on the 377s - the narrow '2+3' type and the other '2+2' type. The former are only in Standard, and the latter are used in Standard and First alike. The legroom of all '2+2' seating is the same in both classes, except, of course, with the bizarre transverse single seats in the 377/4s.
I know of no other train operator in the world where First and Standard class seating is identical, and the overall accommodation so very similar! Southern have clearly never accepted that First was required, contradicting their original plans, and have grudgingly provided the bare minimum. The irony is that many 377s used to have purple '2+2' seat covers in some sections before the 'refurbishment', and these could easily have been re-used in First, which at least would have visually distinguished First from Standard, even if the quality was no better.

Apart from it would have been... the connex spec interior you are talking about made use of much comfier seat cushions than football pitch astroturf
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Say you had never travelled on a train before but bought a first class ticket...

you would probably want your money back