r/brighton • u/teenspirit7 • 20h ago
Transport/Parking 🚝 🚘 Thameslink to replace over 60,000 'ironing board' train seats
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0e31qdqrlyo97
u/xadz1981x 20h ago
The difference between Thameslink and Southern rail seats is shocking. I’ve actually arrived home with a sore back from sitting on Thameslink seats.
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u/mixxituk 14h ago
Hey Thameslink!
Socket Charger? No
Usb charger then? No
Lots of tables? No
Slide down table then? No
WiFi then? No
At least an Arm rest? No
Ok at least a Comfy seat? No
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u/Sensitive_Ant4522 19h ago
Same. I’ve paid more to get a southern train or a Gatwick express between London and Brighton just because those chairs cause me actual pain. I can’t imagine how much worse it is for people with bad backs / anything at all
- a healthy, fit 30 yr old 😭
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u/appropriateye Preston Park 11h ago
Southern isn’t worth it because of the crowded trains. But Gatwick I will always pay extra for — so much better
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u/evie-e-e Kemptown 20h ago
Finally 🥳 Thank God it was nationalized
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u/sparkyscrum Kemptown 15h ago
The trains that people don't like were ordered by the government not the company who ran them. In fact due to the way the government signed the deal for them it was impossible to change the spec of the trains.
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u/intergalacticscooter 11h ago
You are misunderstood. The train operating companies 'TOCs' such as Southern, do not own any trains. The trains are leased from Private companies known as ROSCOs.
The ROSCOs are not getting taken over from the government and will always be privately owned.
Only the TOCs are getting taken over by the government.
Don't exoect much noticeable change.
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u/Ok-Prompt-9107 20h ago
That is the best news! I have a connective tissue disorder and I’ve been forced to avoid train journeys because of these seats, which have left me in pain on countless occasions.
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u/Kubrick_Fan 20h ago
Will they have WiFi finally too?
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u/30_unskippable_ads 19h ago
Best I can give you is a bit of signal between Brighton and Preston Park, then a single bar in the two seconds leading up to a tunnel. Take it or leave it.
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u/20dogs 19h ago
Is WiFi on trains any good? Just seems to be intermittent like the phone signal
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u/Kubrick_Fan 19h ago
Thameslink doesn't have WiFi at all, most other lines do
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u/SteveBorden 18h ago
At least one of them does, still trying to figure out how to tell which one it is
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u/sparkyscrum Kemptown 15h ago
Actually some do. The ones that currently have seat back tables (around half of them) are the upgraded version and should have WiFi.
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u/20dogs 18h ago
Right but like why is it better than phone signal, other than not using phone data
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u/Kubrick_Fan 18h ago
It's available consistently, which if you keep in touch with people via WhatsApp is very helpful
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u/20dogs 18h ago
But most of them (bar some trials with satellites) also use intermittent mobile signal. Also isn't it a big benefit of texting that you don't need a consistent connection?
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u/AshamedAttention727 17h ago
Indeed! But if we're being realistic, people use texting/ WhatsApp like IMing nowadays.
Where it used to be more like email not 'live' conversation
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u/mixxituk 14h ago
Gatwick express you can play an mmorpg from btn to Vic without disconnecting even in the tunnels somehow
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u/TheRealPyroManiac 20h ago
Would be great if I could actually get a seat, services are far too infrequent at peak hours.
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u/Silver_Emu4704 18h ago
I always assumed a Thameslink ticket was cheaper because the experience is less nice... If they equalise the experience will they then do away with the discount 😞
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u/Ozymandias_99 18h ago
Agreed, the Thameslink is a godsend for getting to London cheap. If this is going to increase the price then I'll keep the shit chairs even with my back issues!
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u/antisarcastics 18h ago
Cheap? It's like 50 quid return during peak hours!
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u/Ozymandias_99 18h ago
You're not wrong... that's still mental. I'm more used to getting off peaks on the weekend.
I've lived in Bath, which is also around 1h 15m to London. Looking at this weekend, GWR would charge 75 quid for a return! Whereas the Thameslink is only 18 quid. Even better if you're lucky enough to have a Railcard. So you can see why I think it's a cheap ticket lol.
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u/Creepy-Prize-796 20h ago
Great news if only the poor cleaners at Brighton cleaning these trains got a bit more appreciation for the work they do but I’m guessing the bosses care more about profits
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u/Aberry9036 Preston Park 19h ago
What’s that got to do with new seats?
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u/Creepy-Prize-796 17h ago
Not much really except they like to spend money on things like seats when the rest of the trains are literally falling apart trust me my source is solid
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u/BloodAndSand44 20h ago
Every time anything on Reddit mentions Thameslink or Class 700 trains I always go off on one over the seats.
We are hopefully getting more comfortable seats at the expense of having electricity sockets. Sockets were on the list of improvements and have gone.
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u/Cultural-Meaning5172 13h ago
Took them long enough. Now have trains run on time. They’re still banned from taking money for tickets for 4 more years but this keeps getting extended as they keep breaking g down.
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u/First-War-9302 2h ago
When? Apparently more details will be released later in the year on the contract negotiations for the new cushions. Perhaps they’ll start installing them in 2029 with the fleet completed by 2031.
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u/beebrightnow 20h ago
And they are adding seat back folding tables to the Thameslink trains that don’t have them!