All Quiet on the Thameslink Front

[Bletchleyite]

Unfortunately the seats are just as hard in there. You just get a table and marginally more legroom.

I actually find Standard more comfortable, the contours of the 1st seats push me up against the wall, while because the Standard seats are completely flat I can, if it's not busy, just sit across two like an old style bus bench.

 

[TheAdelante]

Well, even though I do like the 700s over what they replaced/will replace, I find it a shame because the 377/5s they replaced and 365s they will replace have nicer seats.

 

[Bishopstone]

I'd agree that reliability has been very good, of late.

When I travel homebound, towards the end of the pm peak on the Brighton Mainline, punctuality still leaves a great deal to be desired, but that's not (generally) the fault of the trains and is a problem shared by Southern and GatEx.

I find the First Class cushions to be too 'rolled' at the edges, forcing a knees-together poise. I think the Standard Class priority seats are the most comfortable on these units.

 

[Abpj17]

Unfortunately the seats are just as hard in there. You just get a table and marginally more legroom.

They aren't the same seat. I guess it depends where the padding makes a difference for your shape, but I find the 1st class ones much comfier.

 

[urpert]

Well as a resident on a Catford Loop station, I FINALLY don't have to worry about breathing someone's hair and getting touched in inappropriate areas... I can stand comfortably now. And the 700s has DRASTICALLY improved the weekend service. 4 cars on the 319 on a Saturday afternoon wasn't pleasant. All positive from my and my friend's point of view.

Be that as it may, literally 20 mins ago I saw a platform man have a bit of a brutal shouting at from two passengers who missed their Sutton train. The board and the National Rail app said it leaves at 21:31 but left at 21:28.... So maybe it's just the Sevenoaks/Catford Loop passengers happy

Another happy Catford Loop resident here. It’s going to be even more of a transformation once we get to the May timetable.

 

[hassaanhc]

Was on one in September from St Pancras to Brighton. Fine train, no problems with seats for me but we all have different bodies and aspirations.

I also find both the Class 700/707 seats and the Class 387 seats perfectly shaped for me, which also applies to the original Desiro seats. Having short legs also helps as I have no issues with the legroom on the 700/707 units, which is the same as found on Classes 350/2, 360 and 450. It is the class 458 soggy seats that I don't quite get on with, but having said that, pretty much all National Rail stock is better than the 73ts that is my alternative to/from Hounslow, and I'm happy to give my journey a time penalty in order to avoid it. About 5-10 minutes is the most I can usually handle on the 72ts and 73ts.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Particularly as you're getting on at Bedford, sit in the declassified first class in the last coach.

I thought first class was live on most of the services from Bedford.

 

[class387]

I thought first class was live on most of the services from Bedford.

First class only applies in the front coach on TL 700s - the rear is permanently declassified.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

First class only applies in the front coach on TL 700s - the rear is permanently declassified.

Right so on the Luton/St.Albans - Sutton loop/Sevenoaks services all 1st is declassified including some of the semi-fast peak hour services but apart from some all stations that run through to Bedford late evening, thru the night, early morning whereas only the 1st compartment at the front of the train on all other services is actually first class ?

 

[class387]

Right so on the Luton/St.Albans - Sutton loop/Sevenoaks services all 1st is declassified including some of the semi-fast peak hour services but apart from some all stations that run through to Bedford late evening, thru the night, early morning whereas only the 1st compartment at the front of the train on all other services is actually first class ?

Correct.

 

[47271]

Thankfully I don't have to venture into GTR land that often but it was the same old same old this evening - Thameslink from Brighton cancelled because the driver had phoned in sick.

Am I the only person who thinks that the upholstery on the leading edge of the seat squabs on the 700s is already showing signs of wear? Maybe they're so hard and sharp that they're wearing themselves out. Lol.

Oh, and the great big Christmas tree is still up on Brighton station. They can't even get their decorations to run punctually and reliably.

 

[Skimble19]

First class only applies in the front coach on TL 700s - the rear is permanently declassified.

If anyone ventures over to GN then remember that those same TL 700s have First Class in use at both ends, neither are declassified.

 

[AM9]

If anyone ventures over to GN then remember that those same TL 700s have First Class in use at both ends, neither are declassified.

The disparity will have to change when the GN 700s start running through the core. It would be impossible to get a conviction when all trains look the same to a lame passenger yet are interleaved as they pass through the core. How difficult could it get trying to explain to a passenger boarding at Blackfriars that on this train to Brighton the rear seats were for 1st class ticket holders only because it came from Cambridge but on the one that they caught yesterday at about the same time it was OK to travel in 1st class because that train came from Bedford. It should be fun to read about though.

 

[jon0844]

When they start running through the core, they'll be Thameslink services and hopefully they'll be consistent with the first class operation.

Currently they're Great Northern trains, albeit with the confusing branding issue.

 

[Bromley boy]

Thankfully I don't have to venture into GTR land that often but it was the same old same old this evening - Thameslink from Brighton cancelled because the driver had phoned in sick.

Erm, how on earth could you possibly know that was the case?

Train crew can be made unavailable because of any number of things. Not sure why you’d automatically assume the driver had phoned in sick. Even if he had done so, railstaff are prone to occasionally falling ill, just like any other segment of the population!

 

[30907]

Oh, and the great big Christmas tree is still up on Brighton station. They can't even get their decorations to run punctually and reliably.

It is quite common for the Christmas crib to remain in church throughout the season of Epiphany until Candlemas, so why not the tree in Brighton station?
(Second bit is not a serious comment.)

 

[Abpj17]

The disparity will have to change when the GN 700s start running through the core. It would be impossible to get a conviction when all trains look the same to a lame passenger yet are interleaved as they pass through the core. How difficult could it get trying to explain to a passenger boarding at Blackfriars that on this train to Brighton the rear seats were for 1st class ticket holders only because it came from Cambridge but on the one that they caught yesterday at about the same time it was OK to travel in 1st class because that train came from Bedford. It should be fun to read about though.

That's already the case now though.
All Luton/Sutton services are fully declassified. 8 cars.
Most Bedford/Brighton services are declassified only at the back 8 or 12 cars. Particularly all stoppers overnight are fully declassified now.

The only vaguely reliable indicator is the timetable and the electronic signs. I say vaguely as you can only see the sign once you're in the compartment, and because the displays don't always behave.

It's also hard to guess destinations when the trains switch order. A train going to Bedford can be fast, semi-fast and all stations - it's not easy to work out which.

 

[AM9]

That's already the case now though.
All Luton/Sutton services are fully declassified. 8 cars.
Most Bedford/Brighton services are declassified only at the back 8 or 12 cars. Particularly all stoppers overnight are fully declassified now.

The only vaguely reliable indicator is the timetable and the electronic signs. I say vaguely as you can only see the sign once you're in the compartment, and because the displays don't always behave.

It's also hard to guess destinations when the trains switch order. A train going to Bedford can be fast, semi-fast and all stations - it's not easy to work out which.

Precisely, if GTR wants any chance of a prosecution for travelling in 1st class without the correct ticket to succeed, they will have to be consistent in their application of whatever rules they want and those rules will need to be clearly displayed for the passengers.

 

[Hadders]

If anyone ventures over to GN then remember that those same TL 700s have First Class in use at both ends, neither are declassified.

They often forget. Last Monday (15/1) the rear compartment was declassified on the 0736 from Stevenage. Always worth checking.....

 

[fusionblue]

During the outage on friday when there was no services through the core, TL was quick to put up information about the Bedford and Brighton information but waited several hours to put up anything about the Sevenoaks line but continued to tell people on twitter "services are running".

TL (like FCC) only have three lines south of Blackfriars they permanently run to. How can you consistently forget one exists every time a major incident occurs?

 

[Abpj17]

During the outage on friday when there was no services through the core, TL was quick to put up information about the Bedford and Brighton information but waited several hours to put up anything about the Sevenoaks line but continued to tell people on twitter "services are running".

TL (like FCC) only have three lines south of Blackfriars they permanently run to. How can you consistently forget one exists every time a major incident occurs?

They really weren't any good at Northbound either. Nothing helpful about Bedford - no bus acceptance going north from blackfriars, no acceptance on GN, nothing about turning trains at St P, nothing about EMT services.

 

[bengley]

Thankfully I don't have to venture into GTR land that often but it was the same old same old this evening - Thameslink from Brighton cancelled because the driver had phoned in sick.

Am I the only person who thinks that the upholstery on the leading edge of the seat squabs on the 700s is already showing signs of wear? Maybe they're so hard and sharp that they're wearing themselves out. Lol.

Oh, and the great big Christmas tree is still up on Brighton station. They can't even get their decorations to run punctually and reliably.

The wear is caused by people placing their feet on the seats, a disgusting habit which I always tell people to stop immediately or they will not be travelling on my train.

 

[MCSHF007]

The wear is caused by people placing their feet on the seats, a disgusting habit which I always tell people to stop immediately or they will not be travelling on my train.

GTR appear to consider it acceptable that this sort of plebeian behaviour is also welcome in the supposedly 'premier' accommodation depending on direction of travel.

 

[47271]

Erm, how on earth could you possibly know that was the case?

Train crew can be made unavailable because of any number of things. Not sure why you’d automatically assume the driver had phoned in sick. Even if he had done so, railstaff are prone to occasionally falling ill, just like any other segment of the population!

Sorry, on reflection I was a bit grumpy when I made that post because my train had been cancelled!

Anyway, I said it because someone entered the rear cab - they were still there as we shuffled round to another platform - and made an announcement exactly to that effect. I did think at the time that what we were given was possibly too much information. I wasn't making a comment on train crew going off sick, or being unsympathetic to that, my point was on what appeared to me to be the continuing unreliability of GTR's services.

 

[47271]

The wear is caused by people placing their feet on the seats, a disgusting habit which I always tell people to stop immediately or they will not be travelling on my train.

I understand that, but it appeared to have occurred at a tremendous rate on that particular unit, which seemed almost brand new in every other respect. I was only half joking when I wondered if it's because the seats are so hard.

 

[387star]

Christmas tree gone but station clock is showing the wrong time

 

[jon0844]

They really weren't any good at Northbound either. Nothing helpful about Bedford - no bus acceptance going north from blackfriars, no acceptance on GN, nothing about turning trains at St P, nothing about EMT services.

A lot of that is probably automatic once they're in disruption mode, but they do need to tell people!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Hmm- graffiti murals appearing on some class 700's ...

 

[Bromley boy]

Sorry, on reflection I was a bit grumpy when I made that post because my train had been cancelled!

Anyway, I said it because someone entered the rear cab - they were still there as we shuffled round to another platform - and made an announcement exactly to that effect. I did think at the time that what we were given was possibly too much information. I wasn't making a comment on train crew going off sick, or being unsympathetic to that, my point was on what appeared to me to be the continuing unreliability of GTR's services.

Fair enough.

I must say that strikes me as a very unusual and extremely unprofessional announcement for someone to make.

 

[Lukespenceruk1]

I do think that should the Next SE franchise look at replacing the 465 fleet then, 700’s or a variation of the would be a good choice for SE metro services.