Worst train interiors

[GospelOak117]

I once caught a Regional RENFE DMU in spain (mid 90's) running fast between Tarragonna and Salou on it's way to Barcelona Sants. I'm guessing it was just the carriage I was standing in rather than the whole train (which was only a 2 or 3 car set anyway as I recall), maybe a smoking carriage but it had NO seats at all, just a scattering of leaning posts.

........still, I bet the users of Mersyrail pacers would have considered this train a luxury

Could anyone who knows anything about Spanish rolling stock shed some light onto what this train may have been? It was a noisy smokey old beast too...just how I like em

Thanks.....

 

[WestCoast]

Don't post it again, it really is truly awful!

Some of us have to use the Mersey 142s all the time!

That's why some of us got a little annoyed when the BBC harped on about the dreadful 450s on SWT.
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I once caught a Regional RENFE DMU in spain (mid 90's) running fast between Tarragonna and Salou on it's way to Barcelona Sants. I'm guessing it was just the carriage I was standing in rather than the whole train (which was only a 2 or 3 car set anyway as I recall), maybe a smoking carriage but it had NO seats at all, just a scattering of leaning posts

I bet if someone plonked some deckchairs by the windows, it would be far superior to a Mersey 142.

 

[HST Power]

Some of us have to use the Mersey 142s all the time!

That's why some of us got a little annoyed when the BBC harped on about the dreadful 450s on SWT.

You have my deepest sympathy. It's a good job that RailForums has plenty of 'burn the pacer', 'crush the pacer', 'melt the pacer' etc threads to help vent your frustration!

And regarding the 450s, I rather like them!

 

[AlexS]

Without a shadow of a doubt the FGW 142's - those Merseytravel seats look luxurios in comparison! What always baffles me though is why people still insist on calling them 'bus seats', given that the vast majority of buses have far superior seating.

The Merseytravel seats may look luxurious in comparison but I assure you the bus 'style' bench seats are better. The Merseytravel ones are stuck so close together with just the pitch angle that if you're taller than 5ft 8 or similar its impossible to sit in the seats without something stabbing you somewhere - I tried it for 2 minutes and gave up and got off the train and waited for the next one.

 

[WestCoast]

You have my deepest sympathy. It's a good job that RailForums has plenty of 'burn the pacer', 'crush the pacer', 'melt the pacer' etc threads to help vent your frustration!

The pacers are tolerable apart from the Mersey 142s which are quite frankly, horrific.

 

[Blindtraveler]

personal opinion only but if west coast hates the formentioned 142 intirior so much then sugest he aranges for them to move north to Scotland and he can take some overheated stuffy 156s back

 

[HST Power]

The pacers are tolerable apart from the Mersey 142s which are quite frankly, horrific.

Maybe it's time to start another anti-142 campaign!

I know this is going off topic, but just out of curiosity, what rolling stock would you implement if you recieved the choice to scrap the 142?

 

[WestCoast]

personal opinion only but if west coast hates the formentioned 142 intirior so much then sugest he aranges for them to move north to Scotland and he can take some overheated stuffy 156s back

Have you actually ever travelled on a Mersey pacer? The seats are like planks of wood and I have to sit sideways because of the lack of any legroom
and I'm not tall!


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Maybe it's time to start another anti-142 campaign!

I actually don't mind most of them it's just that variety that I really can't stand! :roll:

I know this is going off topic, but just out of curiosity, what rolling stock

2-car and 3-car 172s, it's about time Northern got a fair deal. LM doesn't need more new stock, they are constantly getting it!

personal opinion only but if west coast hates the formentioned 142 intirior so much then sugest he aranges for them to move north to Scotland and he can take some overheated stuffy 156s back

Much appreciated, 156s are one of the best DMUs Northern has, proper seating and a decent ride. Northern can have its 158s back as well.

 

[HST Power]

personal opinion only but if west coast hates the formentioned 142 intirior so much then sugest he aranges for them to move north to Scotland and he can take some overheated stuffy 156s back

The 156 may not be great but it's the Royal Train in comparison to a 142.

 

[Chz]

I thought the Cl.455s in their old NSE guise were quite abominable. They're like entirely new stock since their refits - to the extent that the Southern and SWT refits seem to be entirely different stock as well!

 

[Blindtraveler]

i dont mind any paser but have to agree the ones in question are not the best. Also got to agree northern always seam to get a bad deal with stock and cant help wondering if maybe the shots line, motherwel to cumbernald, barhead and some other runs up here would be a better home for them than northern who greatly need the flexibilitty of a 156. As to 158s, wel keep yours and give you some nx scotrail refurbed ones if thats ok? Lol

 

[sprinterguy]

I’m not at all keen on the seating in LMs’ 150s; it’s much too low down which means that irrelevant of how much legroom there is between the seat in front I always end up with my knees crushed into the back of it as it’s impossible to maintain good posture. The interiors are looking quite ragged now as well. Just as well we’re getting shiny new 172s on the Snow Hill lines soon! Northerns’ 150/1s are a bit of an “experience” to travel on as well; they look truly knackered. Fingers crossed for a refurbishment of Northerns’ 150 fleet in line with them receiving more 150s from LM.

Voyagers are terrible, there are so many faults in the design it’s unbelievable: The passenger saloon is very short in many of the carriages due to the multitude of oversized disabled toilets in the train. There isn’t enough luggage space, the shop has had to be removed on the XC units due to a lack of space on the trains for luggage and passengers and the overhead luggage racks are far too small. In addition the huge width of the window pillars make the poor seat to window alignment unacceptable. There’s a few things that I do actually like about the Voyagers, one of my favourites must be the declassified coach on Virgins’ 221s: It’s a breath of fresh air to see a Voyager carriage with seating made up entirely of bays around tables, and all lining up correctly with the windows!

I can’t see why there is so much ill will towards Pacers: I find the original bus seats to be completely acceptable to travel on, and the ex-Northern Spirit high back seating is quite comfortable. The Merseytravel 3+2 seating is the only bad one of the bunch IMO.

The 3+2 layout of the 350/2s is annoying compared to the comfort offered by the 2+2 layout in the 350/1s, but I wouldn’t say it’s a bad design per se.

 

[Daimler]

I’m not at all keen on the seating in LMs’ 150s; it’s much too low down which means that irrelevant of how much legroom there is between the seat in front I always end up with my knees crushed into the back of it as it’s impossible to maintain good posture. The interiors are looking quite ragged now as well. Just as well we’re getting shiny new 172s on the Snow Hill lines soon! Northerns’ 150/1s are a bit of an “experience” to travel on as well; they look truly knackered. Fingers crossed for a refurbishment of Northerns’ 150 fleet in line with them receiving more 150s from LM.

Voyagers are terrible, there are so many faults in the design it’s unbelievable: The passenger saloon is very short in many of the carriages due to the multitude of oversized disabled toilets in the train. There isn’t enough luggage space, the shop has had to be removed on the XC units due to a lack of space on the trains for luggage and passengers and the overhead luggage racks are far too small. In addition the huge width of the window pillars make the poor seat to window alignment unacceptable. There’s a few things that I do actually like about the Voyagers, one of my favourites must be the declassified coach on Virgins’ 221s: It’s a breath of fresh air to see a Voyager carriage with seating made up entirely of bays around tables, and all lining up correctly with the windows!

I can’t see why there is so much ill will towards Pacers: I find the original bus seats to be completely acceptable to travel on, and the ex-Northern Spirit high back seating is quite comfortable. The Merseytravel 3+2 seating is the only bad one of the bunch IMO.

The 3+2 layout of the 350/2s is annoying compared to the comfort offered by the 2+2 layout in the 350/1s, but I wouldn’t say it’s a bad design per se.

+1 to the comments made in this post, especially regarding the low seats in 150s.

I would add, however, that I find the notion of the 'convertible' carriage in Virgin Voyagers appalling. Yes, it's lovely when you're in standard class and travel in it, but if I had paid first class and found myself sitting in the same type of seat as standard class passengers, I would be very unimpressed. I don't believe it's an answer to overcrowding at all.

 

[WestCoast]

I can’t see why there is so much ill will towards Pacers: I find the original bus seats to be completely acceptable to travel on, and the ex-Northern Spirit high back seating is quite comfortable. The Merseytravel 3+2 seating is the only bad one of the bunch IMO.

I think it's the whole experience rather than just the seating. However, quite rightly you mentioned 150/1s with LM (and Northern), they are also in a bad way interior wise.

Don't forget nowadays about standees! Pacers are running on busy lines where there is hardly any provision for these passengers

This is where the 150s do have one major advantage over pacers, they are better for standing passengers with better circulation spaces and grab rails e.t.c. I'd rather be standing on one of those than a pacer!

Shame the 172s can't skip LM and head straight for Northern.

 

[Yew]

Northern's old BR style 150/1's have diabolical interiors. Dirty, rubbish seating and the smell of the toilet. Horrible

Are those the ones where all the seats face eachother in 2+2? Because I like those. I gather the 3+2 seating in 150's is generally dispised though

 

[Lampshade]

Are those the ones where all the seats face eachother in 2+2? Because I like those. I gather the 3+2 seating in 150's is generally dispised though

Yep. Northern's 150133-150 and 150201-228 have diabolical interiors, 150215 being the worst by a country mile. However, 150268-277 have fantastic seats, we need more of those

 

[43021HST]

+1 to the comments made in this post, especially regarding the low seats in 150s.

I would add, however, that I find the notion of the 'convertible' carriage in Virgin Voyagers appalling. Yes, it's lovely when you're in standard class and travel in it, but if I had paid first class and found myself sitting in the same type of seat as standard class passengers, I would be very unimpressed. I don't believe it's an answer to overcrowding at all.

What i dont like about first class in the vomiters is that if you book a seat in the middle of the coach you end up sitting on the engine, so you get this relentless droning and vibrating all throughout the journey.

 

[HST Power]

2-car and 3-car 172s, it's about time Northern got a fair deal. LM doesn't need more new stock, they are constantly getting it!

I had a feeling you were going to say that, and I was right!

The 172 would be an excellent deal. I'm also curious as to how much longer the T&W Metro units have left.

 

[sprinterguy]

I'm also curious as to how much longer the T&W Metro units have left.

Another ten years following the refurbishment that is currently getting underway. The first refurbed Metrocar isn't even out of Doncaster yet (Though can't be far off surely)!

 

[HST Power]

Another ten years following the refurbishment that is currently getting underway. The first refurbed Metrocar isn't even out of Doncaster yet (Though can't be far off surely)!

I was unaware of a refurbishment programme.

Thank you for the information.

 

[sprinterguy]

I was unaware of a refurbishment programme.

Thank you for the information.

They're being stripped all the way back to the bare metal frames, so they should be like completely new train...tram...things when they get back apparently.