ast444 wrote:
I think we're kind of missing the point. Rush hour are what these
trains are designed for. Although I agree with the hard seating and
the
OTT disabled areas, these trains work very well. Networkers get
crowded
easily and it is logic that you could get more people standing. I can
see the 376 concept being applied to all London Inner Suburban line
(incl North London Line and euston-watford). Look at the refurbed
455s
for SWT.
I think that many people (including me) to a certain extent wish we
could have seat like 4-CIGs, but realistically their out of date. The
cream of the new-generation are the Desiro. The 450s are
excellent...444s brilliant.

But one can't just assume that the removal of seats creates more
standing room. The 376s aren't the worst example (perhaps the LU
Jubilee or the twenty experimental DLR vehicles claim the prize), but
there are many cases where spaces are provided for feet, but not the
top of the body, creating areas where one person can stand where there
could have been two seats.

Modern stock, for some reason, has to be full of great chunky bulkheads
and obstructions which people can't lean against except at an extremely
painful angle. Standing passengers need to be able to tuck themselves
into corners. Modern layouts force people away from the edges of the
vehicles so that they can only dangle from the ceiling.

There are safety implications to wide open areas where people have
nothing to hold on to or lean against, particularly shorter people.