First class on Great Northern Class 700

[jon0844]

They do what they were provided for, i.e. move very large numbers of passengers effectively and are generally amongst the most reliable trains when considering passenger miles. They are also much quicker along routes than any Electrostar trains with fast opening wide sliding doors.

They throw you around a lot less when you have to stand too.

 

[rmHawk765]

Thanks, shame, I think they need an upgrade. Gatwick Express is more comfortable in my view, I'd love Thameslink to be more like those!

The seats are pretty much their only problem. They have a very large amount of space, quick acceleration and braking, and are reliable. With the seats, I think many miss the fact that TL services are not intended for people going the whole route but rather for people going from one station to another that isn't too far away on the route. And for that the seats are fine.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Apr 2025 ==

They're commuter trains after all, and they're very good for that purpose.

 

[bramling]

The seats are pretty much their only problem. They have a very large amount of space, quick acceleration and braking, and are reliable. With the seats, I think many miss the fact that TL services are not intended for people going the whole route but rather for people going from one station to another that isn't too far away on the route. And for that the seats are fine.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Apr 2025 ==

They're commuter trains after all, and they're very good for that purpose.

The interior is very drab, especially in standard. I find it clinical bordering on hostile. Even just warming the lighting tone would make an improvement - wearing blue light blocking glasses shows just how harsh the lighting is, as when taking them off the eyes really strain.

 

[rmHawk765]

The interior is very drab, especially in standard. I find it clinical bordering on hostile. Even just warming the lighting tone would make an improvement.

The lighting could be tuned I guess, but the whole basic interior thing is kind of intended. The interior is designed to transport as many people as possible and to not wear out quickly doing so, and a fancy interior isn't really suitable for that.

 

[Dave W]

Have had many riots on way to football and other events in declassified first. The single seat by the cab door has my name on it pretty much everytime I'm on a 700. On the flip side, I've been on more than a couple of 700s where young lads in a group have got off at stations one by one. They also know to use declassified first to stay out the way...

When I first saw the display reading "This area may be used by standard class ticket holders" I took it - with the big red exclamation mark - not as friendly direction but as a warning that oiks like me might be in and took great offence, which I regaled my travelling companions with... I might have been with drink at the time!

 

[jon0844]

Thanks, shame, I think they need an upgrade. Gatwick Express is more comfortable in my view, I'd love Thameslink to be more like those!

Am I the only one to remember when the 387s seats were slated as being like ironing boards?

Personally, I don't find 387 or 700 seats to be uncomfortable. The leg room and space between you and your neighbour is more of an issue (in standard) and at peak times, the likelihood of having to stand - but the contrast is a train where you're even less likely to get a seat at busy times and standing can be very cramped.

If you get a seat on a 387 then it all changes. A far nicer interior ambience and comfort for sure, and for the GatEx (and HEX) great, but for commuting - less so if you're joining the train part way through its journey and it's already busy. For that, you have the incredibly basic first class offering, but so many 387s have it poorly marked inside and out so a lot of people won't know where it is, and of course you get even more people sitting in there - some knowingly and some genuinely unknowingly.