Worst (current) train interior

[tsr]

First Capital Connect's 319s can surely count themselves some as some of the worst interiors currently in use down south. I had the pleasure to travel in one mid-December afternoon, and it was an absolute state: dirty seats, walls, windows, rubbish scattered everywhere - plus it was absolutely freezing. If it was a refurbished unit, perhaps the designers shouldn't draw inspiration from Fallout.

I was on one the other day which was literally splattered with blood. I may have posted this on here recently - I'm not sure. Quite what those vicious RPIs were thinking... I was also on one during the Great Snow of December 2010 where the vestibule was covered in snow from people's shoes, and the internal ambient temperature wasn't enough to melt it throughout its entire journey!

Those and the Southern Class 455's.

I have to agree with you there. The Southern 455s feel very spartan and I have often found them to be quite grubby. I have been on them in every state from crush-loaded to empty, and never quite been able to find a comfortable spot, either. Also, who decided to put those poles in the vestibules where they are? Surely there would be a workaround to allow at least some people not to get their luggage caught in this area.

I am gonna be unpopular here and say 175 interiors are nasty. The seats are too hard, the seat-backs are too low and the mounting points get in the way of where your legs should go.

You raise a fair point. If it wasn't for those seats, I'd really rather like them. Personally, I feel the mounting points you describe are just about bearable, especially if nobody is sitting next to you and you can therefore contort/distort/twist your position slightly!

 

[Goldfish62]

I'd nominate the high-density 450s. Worst seats + stagnant air = worst interior. However shabby some of the older units may be, it's always a relief to sink down into a BR-vintage cushion and know that one'll at least be comfortable on your journey, especially if one can open the window.

I certainly agree re the air-con the 450s. It's terrible - the air always seems clammy and humid. And the carpets which are never cleaned hide a whole host of sins.

SWT's 455s and 458s always to smell unpleasant as well and the lino floors are never cleaned which make them quite unpleasant to travel on at times. Don't even get me started on SWT train toilets!!

Having said that the most revoltingly filthy train interiors have to be FGW 165/166s. Utterly disgusting.

 

[trentside]

Having said that the most revoltingly filthy train interiors have to be FGW 165/166s. Utterly disgusting.

I used the toilet on an FGW 165 last summer and it was utterly disgusting.

In terms of toilet maintenance, I did travel on a Southeastern 465 earlier this year where the toilet smelt so bad that you could smell it in the adjacent carriage. The other units I travelled on also had a few unpleasant smells and weren't that clean.

 

[LE Greys]

I used the toilet on an FGW 165 last summer and it was utterly disgusting.

In terms of toilet maintenance, I did travel on a Southeastern 465 earlier this year where the toilet smelt so bad that you could smell it in the adjacent carriage. The other units I travelled on also had a few unpleasant smells and weren't that clean.

Add the 365s for the complete set. The Networker toilets are a terrible design, I'm not sure what's wrong with it, but I suspect cheap materials, especially plastics. The ____star family used a similar design, and is just as bad.

 

[class303]

GA 315s. dear oh dear

 

[61653 HTAFC]

GA 315s. dear oh dear

Aren't they much like the Merseyrail units before refurb?

...come to think of it, also the 313s pre-refurb... Ugh, the PEPs were all pretty horrible to start with!

 

[LE Greys]

Aren't they much like the Merseyrail units before refurb?

...come to think of it, also the 313s pre-refurb... Ugh, the PEPs were all pretty horrible to start with!

It could have been worse, the PEPs themselves had three pairs of doors with consequently fewer seats.

 

[150sprinter]

Has to be ex Merseyrail 142s for me. Those hard plastic seats are absolute killers!

 

[tom1649]

Aren't they much like the Merseyrail units before refurb?

...come to think of it, also the 313s pre-refurb... Ugh, the PEPs were all pretty horrible to start with!

The 303s post refurbishment had those seats too. The original deep sprung ones would have been much more comfortable, but possibly more expensive to maintain.