Trivia: Best HST interior

[cactustwirly]

I've had a few enthusiastic discussions with a few forum members; about which HST interior is best (in standard). So I was wondering what the wider forum membership thought?

My personal favourite is the HD GWR interior, the seats give you the full support, the IC82 seats are short so they don't support my neck/head which can be uncomfortable for a long duration.
The seat bases on the XC/VTEC sets slope forward which can also be uncomfortable.

 

[47802]

VTEC/XC Interior, EMT looks out of the ark.

 

[gordonthemoron]

The original one with blue seats in second class and orange in first

 

[Bletchleyite]

GWR low density, I am a great fan of the seats and the lower density layout is preferable.

It's also a very high quality refurb with excellent attention to detail.

 

[FQ]

Grand Central with the original seats but, as it isn't there, I've gone for EMT with the original seats (my second favourite).

 

[BestWestern]

GWR low density, I am a great fan of the seats and the lower density layout is preferable.

It's also a very high quality refurb with excellent attention to detail.

It's the same as the FGW one but retrimmed! In non-stain resistant material, sadly.

I do rather like the often criticised FGW refurb. It's easy to see why it's very much a matter of personal preference, but I quite like the feeling of privacy offered by high backed seating. I find First Class sometimes feels a little 'exposed'! Yes, I realise I'm odd...

The winner for me though has to be XC. It really is like sitting on a new train, and considering the Voyager alternative it's a very pleasant place to be.

 

[takno]

Intercity style. Classic seats, about 50% in airline formation.

 

[Mag_seven]

The original one with blue seats in second class and orange in first

That's obviously allowed in this poll due to it being British Rail.

 

[cactustwirly]

GWR low density, I am a great fan of the seats and the lower density layout is preferable.

It's also a very high quality refurb with excellent attention to detail.

I agree; I went for the HD layout because I find that the seats line up with the windows better, especially at table seats.

Is it me or do the FGW/GWR sets have nice smell of soap?

 

[43096]

BR InterCity interior. Original seats etc etc

Post privatisation: MML blue first class and Project Rio standard.

 

[Mugby]

Intercity style. Classic seats, about 50% in airline formation.

I'd agree with that absolutely which is why I've voted for EMT style.

I can't stand the FGW high density style because it makes a claustrophobic atmosphere, restricts vision and when you enter a carriage you can't see which seats are occupied and which aren't.

 

[DarloRich]

GC declassified first class coach but as that isnt an option VTEC or XC for me. Both very comfortable. FGW is also quite comfortable if a little claustropobic but i don't use FGW enough to judge.

 

[Lrd]

Anything with fixed armrests especially against the bulkhead/window should be scrapped

 

[roversfan2001]

Only ever been on a VTEC HST (in Standard) so I'll have to go for that

 

[theblackwatch]

I'm another one for the original seats with fixed armrests. It stops 'wide loads' from encroaching onto my seat space!

 

[Clansman]

XC/VTEC seats for me as the base is maximised at the width and the seats are generally comfy. Speaking from when introduced, XC's version is nicer looking for me as the colours are warm, easy on the eye and looks very modern with the electronic reservation boards.

 

[DarloRich]

I'm another one for the original seats with fixed armrests. It stops 'wide loads' from encroaching onto my seat space!

but it isnt very comfortable for us wide loads

 

[Bletchleyite]

but it isnt very comfortable for us wide loads

Quite. I do fit within one seat, just, but the fixed armrests force my knees forward straight into the pointy table supports on the seat in front. A terrible piece of design.

 

[Starmill]

I have chosen the VTEC interior. I love none of them, but this one is the least tatty, being the newest. Some of the others have carpets and soft furnishings in an absolutely filthy state, with broken tables and horribly sucuffed trim, rattling doors, heating that doesn't work, toilet fixtures that are never fixed... (the list goes on - the VTEC fleet still suffers from these but seems to do so the least owing to the recent work).

 

[MatthewRead]

I like the original British Rail layout bets for doing long journey's on.
Those Great Western ones have dreadful seats which are not suited for long journeys!

 

[317666]

Has to be the Great Western ones for me, very comfortable with a lot of legroom. EMT interior is alright, VTEC not great and XC appalling.

 

[TheNewNo2]

Great Western for me. EMT are just saggy (compare to their lovely Meridian interiors), and East Coast make my arse go numb.

 

[yorksrob]

EMT original seating by a country mile.

Their 1st class seats are like swooshing through the English countryside in a favorite armchair.

The GC HST 1st class seats are slightly different being ex WC loco hauled. Good shape but harder with a strange pitch. Still better than modern equivalents.

EMT's blue 1st class interior is also very pleasing to the eye.

 

[batteur]

Off-piste I'd go for GNER pre and post-Mallard refurb, which segways nicely back onto the piste with my vote for VTEC

 

[Great_Western]

FGW by a country mile for me. Although firm, the seats are very supportive and that shows when you can still get off feeling fresh after travelling from Penzance to Paddington. The interiors are bright and airy and probably the only refurb to actually take the HST in to the 21st centuary.

On the other hand, those IC70 seats were probably alright 20 years ago but time has moved on and they have become pretty awful. They feel restricive with the fixed armrests and are so low they make my back hurt after 10 minutes. The less said about CrossCountry HST's the better...

 

[sk688]

VTEC , just because they feel the most modern , especially compared to an EMT HST , which feels like stepping into the 1970s

 

[yorkie]

Anything but GWR standard class, which is awful, except if you are a lone traveller.

For groups, GWR standard class is absolutely dire. The legroom on table seats is appalling, as is the lack of tables (especially on the dreaded high density sets).

I can't participate in the poll really; the last time I was on GWR it was in 1st class (on a cheap ticket), and that was great, so it wouldn't seem right to vote against it.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

(especially on the dreaded high density sets).

Can you still get low density ones on GWR, I didn't think you could?

 

[theblackwatch]

Can you still get low density ones on GWR, I didn't think you could?

FGW's 'Low Density' is more 'lower density'(!) - still mainly airline type seating with (I think) each coach containing 3 or 4 tables rather than none or two on the HD sets.

 

[CC 72100]

FGW's 'Low Density' is more 'lower density'(!) - still mainly airline type seating with (I think) each coach containing 3 or 4 tables rather than none or two on the HD sets.

Correct, although the Coaches that were converted from buffet vehicles have 8 tables (they are often found as coaches E and/or F) and the composite coach has 4 tables in it, which considering it is half a coach, isn't bad at all.