Fire safety rules blamed for new hard train seats
RAIL bosses have blamed fire safety and anti-vandalism rules after passengers complained new uncomfortable seats felt like “solid metal”.
Govia Thameslink admits the seats on the new Class 700 trains are considerably firmer than older designs. The seats have limited padding, because cushioning is deemed a fire hazard by the Department for Transport (DfT), according to the rail operator. They also have to be made from graffiti-proof material, which the DfT said had a “firm feel”.
Travellers have complained the seats are hard and narrow, with some joking that they will be bringing cushions to sit on in future. Frustrated passengers have tweeted about their uncomfortable journeys, with one complaining: “The brand-new link trains have boards for seats.”
Another said the seats were “hard, near-vertical and narrow”, and one passenger advised bringing “a small inflatable cushion if you’re unlucky enough to get a seat”.
The “Tube-style” trains were developed to ease overcrowding at rush hour through London, and have fewer seats in each carriage than previous rolling stock, to make room for more standing space.
However, unlike the London Underground, the trains are designed for those who routinely take journeys that span over an hour.
The roll-out began in 2016, and by the end of 2018 there will be 115 of the trains on Govia’s Thameslink and Great Northern services from London to Cambridge and Peterborough, as well as Brighton and Bedford.
A spokesman for Govia Thameslink told The Sunday Telegraph: “Various seat designs were tested with passengers. The chosen DfTapproved design is the one that met all the safety and capacity requirements and offered the best comfort.”