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. The result is lots of wriggling commuters who can't get
comfortable, including me. A BIG step backwards in comfort from the seats
on the Networkers. What were Bombardier thinking of when they designed
this??? 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.

- 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.

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

- 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.

- 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).

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...

A refurbished Networker or a 375/9 over a 376? Every time!

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.

Rich