First's "Refresh" HSTs: a review
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:53 pm
I've posted this previously elsewhere, but it deserves repetition:
James wrote:I just had my first ride in the a HD "refresh" HST, all the way from London, and despite my being extremely pessimistic, it managed to be far, far worse than I expected. What they've done to these superb coaches has left me feeling pretty depressed about the future of travelling by rail. A truly miserable experience that I do not want to repeat (although it will obviously soon be impossible to avoid).
For a start, the only reason there appears to be more legroom between the seats is because the seats themselves are several inches shorter than the originals. This means that half of your thighs, at the "kneeward" end, are completely unsupported. This also means you feel the ridge along the front of the cushion more, as there's more of your weight on it. The (now industry-standard) rock hard "padding" doesn't help here either. It was noticeable leaving Paddington, and was actually painful by Reading. Also causing particular discomfort was the hollow at the back of the seat, where other designs have a lumbar-supporting protrusion. The First Class seats have a wonderful rounded bit of padding here, but the Standards have a concave area, which means even when you sit bolt-upright, your lower back is still unsupported. Cue back pain after less than an hour!
On the plus side, the headrests are a nice shape, but being rock-hard, only a small point on the back of your skull receives any support, so they could be a lot better. The folding table (with laptop extension) and the long armrests combine perfectly to make it very easy to write (bad reviews) with your whole arm supported. However, the new lighting is harsh and unnatural, and its glare gave me a headache after a very short time. The cold, purple tinge also has the bizarre effect of giving the outside world an odd brown hue!
On my list of stock types, indexed by level of comfort, the refresh HST comes second to last, with only the First Scotrail 158s, with their "neckbreaker" headrests (angled too far forward, leaving you staring at your knees), below them. I even consider the bare-minimum seats on the Class 376 commuter EMUs more comfortable, as they're a better shape. Other "hard" seats such as the Adelante's and Wessex refurbished 158s offer far more support in the right places, so why can't the refresh HSTs? It makes a Voyager seem positively luxurious.
The floor-level heater vents are thin, loose, and flimsy, resulting in lots of tinny rattling, and "bash" noises when an errant foot comes into contact with them. You feel every bump, every rail-joint and set of points, even in the middle of the coach where the ride is usually smoothest. The new foam padding has absolutely no give or shock-absorbing capabilities whatsoever. Oh, and I nearly forgot: the clip to hold the toilet seat up has vanished, so woe betide anyone who is taking a piddle when the brakes come on! To put it simply, everything combines to make the travelling experience extremely unpleasant; I love travelling by train, but I did not enjoy this one bit. The journey felt so much longer; it really dragged, and I couldn't wait to get off. This is from a dedicated railfan, remember, so God only knows what the general public (whom we're supposed to be convincing to abandon their comfortable large-seated cars in favour of the railways) will think. I wonder if the prototype for these seats was even trialed on-board before the roll-out began? I very much doubt that anyone involved in the Refresh programme has sat in these seats on a moving train for 2hrs+, or even in the works! They probably looked good on the computer screens though...
Congratulations First, you have utterly destroyed the best intercity stock that Britain has produced. I'm going to keep travelling for as long as I can in the original stock (and Adelantes), but will be making a conscious effort to take the long way round to London now the Refresh sets are becoming more numerous. South West Trains have lovely soft plush seats in their 159s, and even the 444 Desiros offer more comfort. Farewell First, the classic HST, and the Great Western mainline, you will be sadly missed*.
*Well, the last two anyway.
- actually rather liked it.
