I think the earlier question was after a comparison between a 2+2 350/1 and a 444, which would be significantly different to a 450/444 comparison. I think it’s about 226 to 359. Perhaps seats per metre is a better check, 2.8 for 350/1 and 3.1 for 444?
The DfT 2016 Invitation to tender gives a 350/1 as 206 (std) + 24 (1st), for 230 overall - so yes not really a lot of difference in it.
Aren't their never built 9/10 car AC cousins the 390s? Has the original concept image for the Pendolinos possibly confused you?
Not confused me at all as they are a different family of train 180 and 175 being a Coradia rather than a Pendolino. The 9 or 10 car version I'm talking about being a clone of a 180 with pantograph.
That's a very good point - and as @james_the_xv points out, it's often better to have a larger, standardised fleet.
Although it's interesting that SWR is if anything more of a commuter service than LNWR, with the Weymouths being comparable to the LNR Crewe/Liverpools, and yet they chose to have a split fleet.
And, of course, the 390's were originally a Fiat design, though apart from having an Alstom traction package I don't know how much the design was changed or even how much has been started when Alstom took over.
There were no advertised London to Crewe or Liverpool through trains when the 350/1s were ordered though, IIRC the services were split between the two different TOCs either side of Northampton, and appeared in separate timetables. A comparison with the Waterloo to Weymouth in terms of overall time can only be made with lots of hindsight.
Yes, that is quite relevant as well, the predecessors of LM had little or no choice in designing the fleet from scratch, as they were already ordered as 20m “suburban door” vehicles with production already in progress. I expect there was an element of take it or leave it, and fitting 2+2 seats was the only relatively easy change.
Personally, on the WCML units I'd take First Class out. For Weymouth I'd move first class to one of the end carriages.