Electostars vs desiros

[Class313:)]

wondering what opinions on this are, having not been on electrostars that much, and only occasionally on Desiros

 

[Bletchleyite]

Personally I prefer the Desiro, higher build quality, bigger luggage racks and to me a higher level of comfort.

 

[SEClass375]

Having been on both a Class 375 (what I travel on most of the time) and a Class 450, I personally prefer an Electrostar. Whilst a Desiro has a slightly better build quality over a Mk1 Electrostar, an Electrostar has a better interior, comfort and ambience and a better PIS system.

 

[bramling]

wondering what opinions on this are, having not been on electrostars that much, and only occasionally on Desiros

Desiro has a marginally better build quality, however from an ambience point of view I prefer the Electrostar, especially the earlier versions.

A certain amount is down to specification however - the Connex interior Electrostars I find excellent, although they can be prone to rattles.

Later Electrostars have a better build quality, however sadly the seating is horrible.

 

[Class313:)]

How many connex electrostars are there....they have no franchises. 376s and 375s ive seen in connex livery, but havent SE refurbrished the interior?

 

[SEClass375]

Connex spec built Electrostars are Class 375, 377101-139 and Class 377/3
Connex spec built with 2+2 seating are Class 375/3 and /6-8, 377101-119 and Class 377/3
Mk1 Electrostars are Class 357, Class 375, Class 376, Class 377/1-5
Mk2 Electrostars are Class 377/6 and /7, Class 379 and Class 387

 

[davetheguard]

I definitely find the seats more comfortable in the Desiros, and seemingly the later the build of Electrostar, the bigger the gap in favour of the Siemen's-built train.

 

[Buggleskelly]

I've only ever travelled on one class per family, 360 and 357. I tend to travel on the 360/1's more as they take me to work more or less every day. Seating is quite comfortable, nice modern look and a smooth ride. The only downside is that they suffer from noisy A/C units, which was mentioned by someone on another thread. On the odd occasion that I travel on the LTS line which I try to avoid, I find the 357's to be rather quiet. They're maybe a little cramped especially during busy times. Can't speak for the other classes though as they're not available for where I need to go.

 

[Mikey C]

Personally, I don't have strong opinions either way, it tends to be more down to the interior and seating choices, as both families of trains to me do a decent job

 

[JohnRegular]

In my experience in south Hampshire, people consider the Southern 377s to be inferior to SWT's 444s and 450s. And I would agree, although I don't mind the electrostars, they get the job done.

 

[class387]

Having been on both a Class 375 (what I travel on most of the time) and a Class 450, I personally prefer an Electrostar. Whilst a Desiro has a slightly better build quality over a Mk1 Electrostar, an Electrostar has a better interior, comfort and ambience and a better PIS system.

375 vs 450 isn't a fair comparison as most 375s (other than /9s) are 2+2 low density seated, while 450s are high capacity 3+2 units. 375 vs 350/1 would be a better comparison.

Personally I prefer a Desiro as they are smoother and better built, but I definitely prefer an Aventra to the Desiro City.

 

[Agent_Squash]

375 vs 450 isn't a fair comparison as most 375s (other than /9s) are 2+2 low density seated, while 450s are high capacity 3+2 units. 375 vs 350/1 would be a better comparison.

Personally I prefer a Desiro as they are smoother and better built, but I definitely prefer an Aventra to the Desiro City.

Is it the ironing boards?

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

The thing that I dislike about the 450s is the lack of lateral spacing between the seats in standard class. When SE were running in and out of Waterloo at Christmas I took the opportunity to travel over the old Eurostar route and found the quality of the interiors of the South eastern services to be much better than any of the SWR stock I have used.

 

[Class313:)]

I got an upgrade to 1st class on a 450 once. No prob w/ lateral spacing there

 

[SEClass375]

What I have noticed is that a 1st class seats on a class 450 are the same type as the standard 2+2 seats on a class 375

 

[Class313:)]

ive never been on a 375....must b nice

 

[Muzer]

What I have noticed is that a 1st class seats on a class 450 are the same type as the standard 2+2 seats on a class 375

Not sure about exactly the same type, but similar perhaps. They're certainly the same as the standard class seats of a 444. As others have said, comparing 450s which were designed more for outer suburban work to 375s which were designed for long-distance work isn't really fair. One could argue about the work 450s actually do not really being outer suburban, but you can blame Stagecoach for that!

 

[class387]

Is it the ironing boards?

No.

 

[Agent_Squash]

No.

I wasn’t referring to those - I was referring to ironing boards on Desiro Cities. Should’ve been clearer.

 

[SEClass375]

375 vs 450 isn't a fair comparison as most 375s (other than /9s) are 2+2 low density seated, while 450s are high capacity 3+2 units. 375 vs 350/1 would be a better comparison.

Personally I prefer a Desiro as they are smoother and better built, but I definitely prefer an Aventra to the Desiro City.

The only Desiro I have been on is a 450 unfortunately. Comparing it to only a 375/9 or a 377. There isn't much in it for comfort but the ambience is better on the Electrostar. Anyway, I still prefer an Electrostar.

 

[class387]

Is it the ironing boards?

I wasn’t referring to those - I was referring to ironing boards on Desiro Cities. Should’ve been clearer.

Not really. The seats on the 345 are pretty hard too, I just prefer the overall ambience of it. Though the 700 seat layout is a big problem.

 

[Class313:)]

never been on a 700, whats the problem w/ it

 

[D365]

never been on a 700, whats the problem w/ it

Layout and seat design I believe.

 

[Muzer]

never been on a 700, whats the problem w/ it

In standard class it has the infamous "ironing board" seats (same as on the 387s, some later 377s and the 707s). These are seats that are shaped like ironing boards (hence the name), but they have very little padding. If you're a fan of hard seats you might not mind them, but for everyone else they're awful.

In addition to this, the seating layout inside a 700 is very sparse, and they have considerably fewer seats and more standing space than the trains they replaced (this is due to the anticipated demand for standing space through the Thameslink core). The seats also don't have tables in standard class.

 

[Class313:)]

i see.

 

[8J]

I find the ride quality on Desiros poor compared to Electrostars, however I quite like the 444s for their comfortable interiors.

 

[Class313:)]

I find the ride quality on Desiros poor compared to Electrostars

really? how so? Have 2 say tho, GN/GTR shoulda kept some 319s for some services that r more long-distance. Could run them as 12 cars instead of 8.

 

[317666]

I prefer Desiros by a long shot.

 

[Class313:)]

i prefer electrostar ambience, but 444 interior and any desiro ride quality seems superior

 

[8J]

Well if you take a ride on a fast service from Woking to Waterloo on a 450 and then do the same journey on a 158/159, you'll notice the difference. It's the same with the 185s over the chat moss