Sitting comfortably?

Mindful of the growing public criticism of the rock-hard seating that modern train designers are expecting us hapless passengers to endure these days, on my last trip on a Great Western Railway Class 387 I couldn’t help noticing the generously upholstered seat and armrests that are provided for the driver!

Back in the ‘good old’ steam days the passengers were provided with nicely padded (some would argue plush) seating, while the driver and fireman up front had little more than wooden planks on which to rest their weary bones!

I mused that the fortunes have now been reversed, with the driver afforded all the home comforts, and us passengers offered the equivalent of the wooden planks to sit on! Paul Newman, Maida Vale