London Banter - View Single Post

Colin Rosenstiel · November 20th 06, 04:03 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article , (David A
Stocks) wrote:

"Jack Taylor" wrote in message
...

If you are referring to the Thameslink route then the Class 319s
date from the late 1980s, when they were built to replace the
original BedPan electrification Class 317s (which went to what is
now the Silverlink County route for a while before moving to
Great Northern and more recently 'one' Railway). The 319s have
never been particularly good for the job. The accommodation is
cramped, the seats are way too low and far too closely fitted
(I'm 6' 5" and when I sit down - in the bay seats, I can't get
into the face-to-back ones - my knees are usually about two
inches from the facing seat cushion).

When they were running Southern, Connex managed to turn seven of
these units into something quite respectable (319/2) for their
Brighton Express services - the biggest difference being that they
have a far better design of seat. Meanwhile, the Thameslink route
operators have turned out numerous refurbishments (see the link
below for the latest version) all of which have avoided doing
anything about the seats, which are the single worst design feature
of these units.

http://timsrailpics.fotopic.net/p35508592.html

I accept that the full 319/2 treatment would probably involve too
great a reduction in seating capacity, but replacement of the seats
with something like those that SWT and Southern are putting into
their 455s would be a huge improvement.

Are the seven 319/2 units part of Roger Ford's "Selhurst 13"?

--
Colin Rosenstiel