On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 23:20:09 +0000, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On 16 Dec 2004, James wrote:

Yes, Southern has started refurbing the 455s. I was on one the other day
from Mitcham Jct to Ewell E. Very nice job. High-backed seats, but sadly
still 3+2.

Are new trains 2+2, then?

South West Trains is refurbishing its 455s with 2+2 seating; there are
some pictures at
http://www.swtrains.co.uk/aboutus/newsreports.asp?ArticleID=298.
There's also some longitudinal seating, providing more standing space.
3+2 seats are often seen as being too narrow, meaning the extra seats
often aren't used efficiently.