FGW HSTs an improvement?

[whole diary]

[The Grecian]

I'd say just about no, although it's fairly even - 49-51ish

Advantages:
More seats
More airline seats with better legroom - as I mostly travel alone I don't really want to be stuck opposite someone the whole time. Besides, if you sit at a full table on any train the legroom is never that good.

Disadvantages:
Not keen on the lighting as it can be hard to see out of the window
Seats are too high - it's nice to be able to look around
I preferred the sound of the old Valenta engine, although I expect most passengers don't

Overall though I'm not too bothered.

[TerminalJunkie]

if you dont care about polls then just ignore them!

Not at all: I do care, and I want the results to be as accurate and comprehensive as possible. 'Ignoring' any abstentions doesn't fairly reflect genuine opinions.

I want to vote - even if it's a don't know or a don't care - and I want that vote to be counted. The absence of this option is pure laziness on the part of the pollster(s) concerned.

maybee you dislike them because it shows that not everyone thinks the same way as you do?

Pfft.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

if you dont care about polls then just ignore them!

Not at all: I do care, and I want the results to be as accurate and comprehensive as possible. 'Ignoring' any abstentions doesn't fairly reflect genuine opinions.

I want to vote - even if it's a don't know or a don't care - and I want that vote to be counted. The absence of this option is pure laziness on the part of the pollster(s) concerned.

maybee you dislike them because it shows that not everyone thinks the same way as you do?

Pfft.

i guess having the dont know/care option does make people just click anything in order to see the result if they want to know what other people think, and to be honest on this poll the dont know option is the same as no as it shows that the refresh was pointless as it did not provide people with a noticable improvement

[John R]

if you dont care about polls then just ignore them!

Not at all: I do care, and I want the results to be as accurate and comprehensive as possible. 'Ignoring' any abstentions doesn't fairly reflect genuine opinions.

I want to vote - even if it's a don't know or a don't care - and I want that vote to be counted. The absence of this option is pure laziness on the part of the pollster(s) concerned.

maybee you dislike them because it shows that not everyone thinks the same way as you do?

Pfft.

It's not laziness, after all it doesn't take any more time. Pollsters sometimes deliberately want to avoid giving people the option to sit on the fence, and thus exclude the option. I've seen that happen in staff surveys when too many people ticked the no view option.

[Btline]

Do you jump of the fence in General Elections?

Or perhaps you waste your vote by spoiling the ballot paper...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Well, if I may say, just for the benefit of those who, for whatever reason, have not voted (and who therefore cannot see the current state of the voting), the figures are currently 55% in favour of the statement (and 45% against, fairly obviously!).

However, please also bear in mind that there has apparently been some 'tactical voting' going on here! 

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

thats ok you can use the comments and match them to the votes to get a more accurate figure

[FarWestJohn]

I think this poll should have been split in two:

1. For short commuter trips [an hour and a halfish]. Improvement as more people can be seated.

2. For long distance. Absolutely appalling especially for groups. Few tables, granite seats, seats by window pillars etc etc etc.

I do not see also why the seats have to be so high that you feel hemmed in and trapped. A trip on a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) is a vast improvement.

There should have been two fleets to provide for the totally different markets.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.  I do take your point, FarWestJohn, but I think it's not quite as simple as measuring such things purely against the length of the journey a particular passenger may make?

For example, I used to catch a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Nailsea & Backwell, either to Bristol Temple Meads (10 minutes) or to London Paddington (2 hours).  Whichever, I was very happy with the service - generally, plenty of seating, with reasonable views, and a buffet (if I had time, in the ten minutes to BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)!).

On the other hand, when I caught an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) to Manchester Piccadilly (3 hours), I found the seating uncomfortable, and my suitcase often had a better view (from the luggage rack) than I did. 

[inspector_blakey]

I had my first trip on an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) a few weeks ago and must say I was rather underwhelmed. OK there are more fixed tables than the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) interior but the airline seating is very poor indeed: cramped legroom, an inadequate table that droops down below the horizontal, and misaligned windows. Give me the FGW version any day - there's ample room for my knees in all the airline seating and the drop-down table is much more solid and useful.

[thetrout]

The First Class Seat on XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s is quite pleasent... Now all they need is the WiFi!

I'm rather impressed with the Disabled Toilet as well... Shame FGW^▸ (First Great Western) didn't do this on the refresh of their HST's... They offer Disabled Seating in FC^‡(resolve), yet no Disabled Toilet Makes no sense to me...!

I think WiFi should be included on all Intercity routes... NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast) can do it, GC^» (Great Central Railway - link to heritage line) can, VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises), Southern, W&S^▸ (Wrexham and Shropshire (Open Access Operator))... Yet XC & FGW...?! However, it is not so much of a concern anymore as my new Mobile includes Unlimited Internet and offers Passthrough to my Laptop

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

leg room is an issue however the xc hst seats are so much more comfortable

[polonia]

As a Reading commuter, I appreciate getting a seat and they are comfortable enough but I just find standard class claustrophobic. When you get on its impossible to see at a glance what seats are free or occupied and if you don't manage to grab a window seat you've effectively no view at all - fine for short distance commutes  but destroying one of the key selling points for longer distance leisure journeys - its seems self-defeating for the railways to effectively compromise one of their key selling points (remember those old BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) Inter City adverts).  I've been travelling on Southern and Southeastern Electrostars a lot recently and have been striuck how comfortable and pleasnt to travel in the longer-distance versions are, lots of tables, comfy seats aligned with windows etc - they serve a similar market to the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) - longer distance commuters plus leaisure travellers to the coast - but do a better job of it.