Thameslink passengers left in pain by trains’ ‘concrete’ seats
New hi-tech carriages costing billions are causing upset with ‘cheap’ seating that has minimal padding
They are the most expensive trains ever built, acclaimed by ministers as the answer to passengers’ prayers. But they are being spoilt by what could be the least-liked railway feature since the replacement bus.
Travellers on large parts of the rail network are in open revolt against “cheap”, “painful” and “concrete” seats in state-of-the-art carriages.
“They are very hard. Hundreds of people I speak to have complained,” said Neil Middleton, chairman of the Association of Public Transport Users, which represents passengers on Thameslink, the line worst affected so far. At a cost of £2.8bn, its entire fleet has been replaced — and all 115 new trains are equipped with so-called “ironing-board” seats, nicknamed for their shape and texture.
Calling the trains “dire” and “really off-putting…
