Worst maintained train interior?

[387star]

Cross country voyagers are so dire I actively avoid them

 

[Halish Railway]

Cross country voyagers are so dire I actively avoid them

I agree - how can the DfT still allow XC to charge so much for tickets? The Voyagers even if they are well maintained are still an unpleasant experience as the Toilet emissions are pumped straight into the saloon, giving the effect that the train isn't maintained well

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree - how can the DfT still allow XC to charge so much for tickets? The Voyagers even if they are well maintained are still an unpleasant experience as the Toilet emissions are pumped straight into the saloon, giving the effect that the train isn't maintained well

Agreed, there is a *massive* difference between the VTWC Voyagers (which get looked after properly) and the XC ones (which don't), whatever you might think of the train itself.

XC really is an utterly dire TOC, which is a shame as some of us thought before that DB AG could make a good job of running UK railways.

 

[Breadman]

I was on a XC 170 the other week.
The carpet was brown and damp, the tray tables looked like a sewer and the whole train was generally filthy and grubby. (Not even mentioning the amount of rubbish and crumbs on the seats)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I understand this is a thread dedicated to dirty trains,
But I must say the last EMT HST I used was the cleanest train I have ever seen

Rode in first class in an EMT HST for the first time recently.

Seat was comfy, but to call it tatty would be an understatement - there were great chunks missing from the leather fabric! Didn't exactly scream "premium", but I let it off based on it being my first and only time out of Oik Class.

That being said, the tattiest interior I've had the displeasure of experiencing comfortably goes to a specific ride up the West Coast on one of XC's Voyagers, which was only accentuated by the overcrowding typical of every service they seem to operate. The cramped, dingy interior coupled with the smell of faecal matter from the toilets and wear and tear on the carpets and seats was horrible - you could tell they hadn't had time to give it anything approaching a proper service in months. Even the windows were covered in scratch marks. It was more akin to the Rome Metro than an intercity service in this green and pleasant land.

Worst ambience I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing on a train, not helped in the slightest by jobsworth guards telling us we couldn't stand in the vestibule (first and last time I've ever heard that one)! Needless to say, it was chaos when the trolley made its rounds. I weep to know I never got to enjoy the Mk. 2 stock those insults to rail engineering replaced.

PS: Am I weird for liking bus-seat pacers? There's something nostalgic about them now - a trip along the Hope Valley in the snow with steamed-up windows...

I can only assume that the Neville Hill team looking after the HSTs do a better job than whoever deals with the Meridians!

As mentioned earlier, the 222(s?*) I had on new years day were filthy. Seats were caked in muck, the one toilet I attempted to use was like something from the comedy DB video posted in the Forum Jokes thread!**

*= it may have been the same unit, twice.
**= Forum Jokes (Post #740)

As for the original Pacer thing, I'm afraid to say you're slightly insane...
Not completely insane though: the low backed seats do give an open feel, and big picture windows with narrow pillars are great on routes like the Hope Valley. As originally built, I think the seats in the "toilet" position in the non-toilet car were a facing bay (as on the non-eco 144s only now), a sort of Observation Bay if you will. The main issue with them for me is the inadequate legroom though.

Cross country voyagers are so dire I actively avoid them

I'm rarely in a position to actively avoid a service due to the stock, but if I'm at Huddersfield heading to Batley, whether I take the xx59 stopper all the way or pick it up at Dewsbury depends on whether the 185 on the preceding xx45 Scarborough is refurbished or not.

 

[HLE]

Greater Anglia class 153’s, those interiors look like they’re making a good effort to retain the ‘original ambience’.

Old and baggy seat covers, filthy carpet, old lighting and worn panels everywhere.
Other TOC’s have kept their allocation of dogboxes in much better condition.

Compared to the good job that was done on the GA 156’s, they really haven’t bothered with the 153’s at all. Don’t even think the cab had the new desk layout installed.

 

[fgwrich]

Greater Anglia class 153’s, those interiors look like they’re making a good effort to retain the ‘original ambience’.

Old and baggy seat covers, filthy carpet, old lighting and worn panels everywhere.
Other TOC’s have kept their allocation of dogboxes in much better condition.

Compared to the good job that was done on the GA 156’s, they really haven’t bothered with the 153’s at all. Don’t even think the cab had the new desk layout installed.

Funny that you mention those, The difference created to the West Fleet by FGW to that operated by everyone else was phenomenal at the time, creating the smartest 143 / 150 & 153 fleets out there. Even the 153s still look smart inside to this day.

Completely agree with you Bletchleyite, there is a huge difference between the VTWC Voyager Fleet at that operated by XC. Even the unit I had back on XC seemed to not understand where in it's journey it actually was - perhaps the change of direction in Reading had sufficiently confused itself. At least Virgin has managed to keep on top of Voyager maintenance, there's is almost a pleasure to travel on! (Almost).

 

[class 9]

Amazed no-one has mentioned any XC trains. long routes and chronic over-crowding means any cleaning at a terminus is infrequent, and any on-board cleaners (if there are any) can't get through the train to do any cleaning. If you have the misfortune to get on a XC service in the middle of the day, it's likely to be full of litter and very dirty.

I regularly travel from Birmingham to Leeds on a late morning/lunchtime train, there is always an onboard cleaner going up &down the train.
But yes I agree the interiors are looking extremely tired &are crying out for a major refurb.

 

[LiftFan]

The worst train interior I have ever seen has to be given to Northern for their dire maintenance of the 142s. Doors not opening, missing seats. scuff marks all over the floor and the "rain" pouring through the connecting gangway.

GWR have second place for their Local Lines 158s with the world's least reliable air conditioning, and their 150/1s collectively winning the "collapsing seats" award with the "never been cleaned since the 80's" award in the toilets.

 

[Parallel]

ATW's 'local' fleet (150s and 14x) leaves little to be desired. What is even more odd is that most 142s, 143s and 150s have had a refresh recently, but the dirt around the seats and by the doors looks like it's been there for years... I have no idea why a deep clean wasn't carried out? Maybe it was but it certainly doesn't look like it. But that's fine as there's free wifi and painted seat tops! Loads of the 150s seem to be missing internal doors too!

Their 158s are lovely and very well looked after. The 175s are tired but not dirty. The 153s are somewhere in between.

--
As mentioned above - GWR's unrefurbished 158s are absolutely awful. The carpets had gone from blue to brown years ago, mismatch of lighting tubes. Seat cushions missing or loose on the Richmond seats. Seat covers ripped and damaged on the BR seats. I was on either 158763 or 158958 yesterday, and some of the seat covers even looked brown and dusty. It seems GWR have just given up maintaining any DMUs in FGW colours. The less said about the 150/1s, the better. Seat cushions missing. Light bulbs not working/missing. Hazard tape holding things together. Missing internal doors. I've counted 4 different colour pieces of replacement floor covering in one singular carriage. (Siverlink blue?, Crazy green, plain greeny and FGW)

 

[w1bbl3]

I fully agree with the comments around the interior of the XC voyagers.

However I suppose the core issue is the stock spends at lot of time away from central rivers where at least bombardier will give the exterior a wash and that XC seem not to have much cleaning provision at the various terminus locations they use. Reading, Plymouth and Glasgow seem to little more than just a litter pick between turns which could see the service spend multi days away from central rivers. I haven't in a long time seen an on train travelling cleaner outside of Birmingham > Leeds.

Do XC have full cleaning contracts in place at the various out stabling locations they use or is full interior cleaning limited to only central rivers?

 

[Halish Railway]

I fully agree with the comments around the interior of the XC voyagers.

However I suppose the core issue is the stock spends at lot of time away from central rivers where at least bombardier will give the exterior a wash and that XC seem not to have much cleaning provision at the various terminus locations they use. Reading, Plymouth and Glasgow seem to little more than just a litter pick between turns which could see the service spend multi days away from central rivers. I haven't in a long time seen an on train travelling cleaner outside of Birmingham > Leeds.

Do XC have full cleaning contracts in place at the various out stabling locations they use or is full interior cleaning limited to only central rivers?

Voyagers are cleaned sometimes in Crofton depot when in Yorkshire between duties. Crofton does have the resources to do a full interior clean as they do it to HT & GC Adelantes. Crofton was a purpose built depot that was built by Bombardier.

 

[387star]

ATW's 'local' fleet (150s and 14x) leaves little to be desired. What is even more odd is that most 142s, 143s and 150s have had a refresh recently, but the dirt around the seats and by the doors looks like it's been there for years... I have no idea why a deep clean wasn't carried out? Maybe it was but it certainly doesn't look like it. But that's fine as there's free wifi and painted seat tops! Loads of the 150s seem to be missing internal doors too!

Their 158s are lovely and very well looked after. The 175s are tired but not dirty. The 153s are somewhere in between.

--
As mentioned above - GWR's unrefurbished 158s are absolutely awful. The carpets had gone from blue to brown years ago, mismatch of lighting tubes. Seat cushions missing or loose on the Richmond seats. Seat covers ripped and damaged on the BR seats. I was on either 158763 or 158958 yesterday, and some of the seat covers even looked brown and dusty. It seems GWR have just given up maintaining any DMUs in FGW colours. The less said about the 150/1s, the better. Seat cushions missing. Light bulbs not working/missing. Hazard tape holding things together. Missing internal doors. I've counted 4 different colour pieces of replacement floor covering in one singular carriage. (Siverlink blue?, Crazy green, plain greeny and FGW)

A few years ago I was working a 150/9 to Cardiff and at Southampton Central one of the internal doors wouldn't open trapping a poor kid on the other side. Took myself and an assisting guard to kick the door open ! Later that door was taken away and pretty sure it is still missing possibly in a reformed 150/1 now . The crazy green flooring I have noticed - with the yellow flecks?

Got to love the toilets with the foot pedal operated flushes!

The 158s are tired . Many Richmond seat bases can be tapped loose whilst a while back some bases had their suspension system poking through ! One unit had a stain on the carpet bright yellow in colour that has been there for years . That's the problem with carpets unless they are replaced regularly

 

[Kettledrum]

I regularly travel from Birmingham to Leeds on a late morning/lunchtime train, there is always an onboard cleaner going up &down the train.
But yes I agree the interiors are looking extremely tired &are crying out for a major refurb.

That's very interesting. I'm always travelling on them in the peak times, so have never seen the cleaner. Does the cleaner get on at Birmingham? as the trains I get on are usually very dirty and littered when they arrive in Birmingham to go North.

 

[Parallel]

A few years ago I was working a 150/9 to Cardiff and at Southampton Central one of the internal doors wouldn't open trapping a poor kid on the other side. Took myself and an assisting guard to kick the door open ! Later that door was taken away and pretty sure it is still missing possibly in a reformed 150/1 now . The crazy green flooring I have noticed - with the yellow flecks?

150927 (as it was then) I believe. And 150127 as it is now I believe is still missing a door!

 

[47271]

Just on Cross Country, and DB run franchises generally.

They must understand that there's a price level where passengers won't pay for grubby threadbare interiors since both the XC Voyagers and Grand Central HSTs have had their First Class coaches refurbished. Granted in a horrible shades of purple that look like they was chosen by someone suffering from a bad migraine at First Group in 2001 and then they flogged the fabric to DB, but refurbed nevertheless.

 

[urpert]

With the 465s (and 466s), I feel that an opportunity that was missed was when they refurbished some of them for mainline running (/9s) is that they should of done them all however without adding 1st class

Agreed. When a /9 turns up on an Orpington stopper it feels like a totally different train. (You can still hear the water sloshing around inside the bodyshell though.)

 

[pemma]

The Northern 142s with the original bus bench seats. Some of them have broken seats, toilets which don't flush and toilet doors which don't shut properly.

 

[Halish Railway]

A few years ago I was working a 150/9 to Cardiff and at Southampton Central one of the internal doors wouldn't open trapping a poor kid on the other side. Took myself and an assisting guard to kick the door open ! Later that door was taken away and pretty sure it is still missing possibly in a reformed 150/1 now .

That happened to me on a transpennine express Class 350/4! It isn't just old BR units unfortunately.

 

[urpert]

The state of the carpet on the few unrefurbished 373s has to be seen to be believed.

 

[Class313:)]

Carpets dont matter that much. Its the ones w/ manky toilets that really get me

 

[SEClass375]

Carpets dont matter that much. Its the ones w/ manky toilets that really get me

Manky one like the one I visited reluctantly on a class 465 the other day. At least it had hot running water unlike any toilet on a class 375.

 

[urpert]

Manky one like the one I visited reluctantly on a class 465 the other day. At least it had hot running water unlike any toilet on a class 375.

I actually think the 165 bogs are worse - they still have the hilarious original hand dryer

 

[samuelmorris]

Pretty sure 321s still have their original hand dryers, they look even older than the units themselves.

 

[thedbdiboy]

I don't think anything will ever beat the state of the Connex 4CEP units in the weeks leading up to withdrawal. As a franchise on its uppers seeking to cut costs everywhere, the decision not to spend any money in anything non safety or structural on these trains prior to their journey to the scrapper, coupled with the notoriously ropey InterCity 70 interiors meant that we travelled on trains with holes in the roof trim, seat squabs missing, panels handing off, misted double glazing panels - nothing has ever come close to that experience from 2003.....

 

[gazthomas]

I don't think anything will ever beat the state of the Connex 4CEP units in the weeks leading up to withdrawal. As a franchise on its uppers seeking to cut costs everywhere, the decision not to spend any money in anything non safety or structural on these trains prior to their journey to the scrapper, coupled with the notoriously ropey InterCity 70 interiors meant that we travelled on trains with holes in the roof trim, seat squabs missing, panels handing off, misted double glazing panels - nothing has ever come close to that experience from 2003.....

I would say Thameslink of the same era was the same - you would sit on a seat and slide immediate off as the base was not attached to the seat!

 

[317666]

If we're going that far back, who remembers the 317/1s in WAGN (pre-ONE) days? NSE inside and out, and looked like they hadn't been touched since NSE were actually the operator!

 

[pemma]

That happened to me on a transpennine express Class 350/4! It isn't just old BR units unfortunately.

150/1s don't have electrically operated internal doors so I would presume the other post referred to something like a manual door handle breaking or moisture causing the wood to expand meaning a lot of force was required to make the door open.

Desiros have handles on the internal doors which can be used in the event of the door open buttons not working.

 

[yorksrob]

I don't think anything will ever beat the state of the Connex 4CEP units in the weeks leading up to withdrawal. As a franchise on its uppers seeking to cut costs everywhere, the decision not to spend any money in anything non safety or structural on these trains prior to their journey to the scrapper, coupled with the notoriously ropey InterCity 70 interiors meant that we travelled on trains with holes in the roof trim, seat squabs missing, panels handing off, misted double glazing panels - nothing has ever come close to that experience from 2003.....

Yes, those headrests had a habit of falling off even in the 1990's.

 

[cactustwirly]

The ex Central trains 156s with EMT aren't that good tbh.
The train I had this evening was very tatty & grubby, with ripped & threadbare seats and collapsed seat foam.
The suspension on the unit was pretty shot too (was doing impressions of a pacer, with all the squeeling sound effects!)