Rich Mallard wrote:
Having had several journeys to and from work on these, I wonder if
anyone
else agrees with my observations:

- These trains have some of the most uncomfortable seating I have
ever
experienced, certainly the worst of any London-area commuter train.
There
is virtually no padding in the seat whatsoever, and the back itself
is
curiously upright and somewhat oddly shaped - as if the lumbar
support is
too high up.


I agree that the seating is rock-hard, myself being a regular user of
the North Kent Line.

They already had a half-decent slimline seat design that's used in
the 375/9, but oh no, let's design something else even less
comfortable.
Note that most of the seating on tube trains is actually quite
comfortable.


I personally think that the seating on the 'main line' Class 375 fleet
is unnecessarily hard. The 4 Cig seating is more comfortable in
comparison.

- Despite having hardly any seating, the atmosphere is quite
claustrophobic
because of the overly-high seat backs that obscure views of the rest
of the
carriage when seated.


I can understand your point concerning a claustrophobic atmosphere when
being seated: the seat backs are indeed high. However, when standing in
the vestibule area and walking down the carriages, there appeared to be
a wealth of space around me, somewhat more pleasant than the
Networkers.


- The windows feel as if they're tiny and high-up, giving a sense of
being
penned in.


Another interesting observation. The windows are indeed smaller than
those found on the Networker, although interior lighting is plentiful.
At the end of the day the objective was to create a new breed of train
to physically cram more people into, thus window design was presumably
not at the top of the list.

- The colour scheme is just grim. Sickly bright blue edges of the
carriages, dull grey seat fabrics, and an odd-patterned lino floor
that
looks more like it should be in a nursery school. I guess the
predominately
blue and yellow colours are an overhang from the Connex corporate
colour
scheme? :-( What a difference colours can make though - compare to
the
civilised green-themed interior of the Southern 377s.


A spill-over effect from the infamous days of Connex. It is clear that
the last thing a government-run franchise wants to do is waste more
time and money on applying new livieries to rolling stock when the
operation is soon (and unfortunately) going to be re-tendered. Applying
new liveries is not as expensive as it used to be, considering that the
whole lot is practically vinyl.


- There is woefully insufficient seating, particularly in the end
carriages
areas where there sections of just a few tip-up seats instead of
"proper"
seating. Okay, more standing space was needed, and 2x2 seating and
wider
doors has helped, but this is just overkill.
- Some 10-car 465/6 formations have been replace by 10-car 376s,
resulting
in no seating being available when the trains leave London Bridge in
the
evenings at all (when previously there were plenty of spare seats).


At the end of the day, I would personally rather have a spacious
standing space in a Class 376 during the peak, than a cramped area in a
Networker. However, during the off-peak I would probably be more
tempted to take a Networker, since the guarantee of acquiring a seat
which is more comfortable than the Class 376.


In summary a pretty nasty "urban" train built by a train manufacturer
that
should know better - how many years do we have to suffer these things
again?
The only tangible benefits, currently, are that they are relatively
free
from vandalism and are being kept clean. But how long will that last
for...


I have been asking myself that question also. They are remarkably
clean, as are many of the Networkers which have received the 'South
Eastern' logo, but keeping them free from vandalism will certainly be
an arduous task. Hopefully there is a scheme in place for this.

If a survey was conducted of a single service, comparing the 376
with, say,
a 375/9, I bet the 376 would lose out on passenger preference
everytime -
even for those who have to stand. A major disappointment.


I am not so sure about that. I was on a Class 375 going into London and
was having to stand in the vestibule area. As you well know, these
trains are not designed for having commuters crammed inside, quite the
contrary, but that was exactly the situation. The vestibule area was
just too small to accommodate people, and at Waterloo East more people
were trying to get on - it was a nightmare. Compare this with the Class
376, and the problems of this whole scenario are alleviated. Indeed, a
passenger is likely to take a Class 375/9 hands down on a journey of
long duration, but I suspect that the Class 376 would be preferred by
commuters on jam-packed lines such as those to Dartford.