FGW 1st Class - ongoing discussion of the benefits and their apparent reduction

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

Thanks Rob T

I took a look and they do look quite smart... I still feel my comments earlier however may be slightly justified. But until i've sat in the flesh I will keep that as an opinion piece.

Here is the picture for you all:



Credits to Rob T / @FGWBodminPway of course

For reference my comments were:

• It is going to make it a potential sod if you want to talk to the person sat next to you!
• Also, Most passengers don't sit back in the seats but lean forward on the table. Rendering the headrest almost pointless.
• Lets go dark now (and I know for a fact I won't be the only one)... If I know I am on my own or there is no-one immediately around... I will talk to 'the voices' as it's just easier than trying to fight/ignore them...

Looking at the above picture... I think some of those will be baseless concerns now.

Also the other amendments appear have not been made it seems from that picture. Just had the new seats fitted

Rob, do you know which Set/HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Power Cars this one is running on please?

[The Tall Controller]

The set in question is currently forming the 1739 ex PNZ which is currently at Exeter St Davids

[chrisr_75]

Strange that there appears to be 2 slightly different designs of seat there. They look just like the 'current' seat that has been re-covered and fitted with a different headrest.

Slight side point regards to different seat designs - I never did work out why one seat of the 'fours' was/is blue, does anyone know why?

[thetrout]

The set in question is currently forming the 1739 ex PNZ which is currently at Exeter St Davids

DAMMIT! That's 1A35... I was going to catch that today as well

[John R]

This looks like the coach with just one bay of 4 fitted, which has been around for a few weeks now? That might be why none of the other changes have been done.

[bobm]

These things are prone to change - but if everything went to plan that set must be one of the sets with a full kitchen as it would have worked the 12:06 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to PNZ before the 17:39 - and that has a Pullman on it.

[Umberleigh]

Not if you continue to take your single seat....you won't even get anyone staring at you from Reading as those will be airline....

Which is good for privacy but also means losing the table space. Also will ensure these seats are snapped up first as everyone loves a single seat (my experience on CrossCountry).

To be honest, my biggest concern is not getting a seat at all, and the loss of the attractive First Advance fares, as unfortunately I'm not on unlimited expenses.

[Rhydgaled]

Strange that there appears to be 2 slightly different designs of seat there

...

Slight side point regards to different seat designs - I never did work out why one seat of the 'fours' was/is blue, does anyone know why?

Indeed, the designs do appear slightly different and I too would be interested to know why some trains have a mixture of different coloured seats (I don't travel First class often, so I think I'm thinking of VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises), XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) or EC standard class, I forget which has a mixture of seat colours). I don't think the chairs are any different, apart from the colour, otherwise I would suspect it was an implementation of the 'Different Chairs' Design Pattern:

People are different sizes; they sit in different ways. And yet there is a tendency in modern times to make all chairs alike.
... therefore
Never furnish any place with chairs that are identically the same. Choose a variety of different chairs, some big, some small, some softer than others some rockers some very old, some new, with arms, without arms, some wicker, some wood, some cloth.

[IndustryInsider]

I thought I remembered reading something, perhaps I'm mistaken though.

I've just found the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) press release from 14th March this year and it doesn't mention anything apart from the interior refresh and is titled "More standard class seats and a refreshed first class environment" which implies no change apart from the refresh.

Possibly an internal document then?  Time will tell I suppose.

[chrisr_75]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27917711

Virgin has won an additional 2 years and 9 months on its west coast franchise and is also going down the route (coerced by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) again?) of converting some first class seating to standard. Somewhat more understandable with the Pendolinos having proportionally much more first class accommodation but beginning to look as if this is a policy that will reach through the whole rail network in time & perhaps could affect the look of any new rolling stock?

[paul7575]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27917711

Virgin has won an additional 2 years and 9 months on its west coast franchise and is also going down the route (coerced by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) again?) of converting some first class seating to standard. Somewhat more understandable with the Pendolinos having proportionally much more first class accommodation but beginning to look as if this is a policy that will reach through the whole rail network in time & perhaps could affect the look of any new rolling stock?

Leaving the 9 car sets with a higher proportion of first to the 11 car trains was a bit odd. They will be much nearer the same proportions after this change, but 4 of 11 or 3 of 9 are still much higher numbers of FC^‡(resolve) than FGW^▸ (First Great Western). 

Anyone know what ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) have in their 9 car trains?

Paul

[ChrisB]

The advantage that Virgin/East Coast have is that they don't have to stop for a commuter pick up/set down just 25 minutes before/after arriving/leaving London.

If they had to, I suspect the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) would have them doing an FGW^▸ (First Great Western)

[didcotdean]

In a BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) interview this morning, Robert Goodwill explicitly said that 'standard class being crowded' and 'MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) only being able to travel standard class'. Although both these two statements are true, saying them together made this action look terribly self-serving.

His justification of not tendering came across as awful, more or less saying that as Virgin is doing a good enough job they should carry on. Look like he needs more media training.

The puzzle is why he was interviewed rather than Stephen Hammond or Patrick McLoughlin.

[ChrisB]

Holiday season....

[Southern Stag]

Anyone know what ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) have in their 9 car trains?

Paul

3 FC^‡(resolve)/5.5 SC in the 91+MK4 sets.
2.5 FC/6 SC in the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train).