I Tried the Horrible "NEW" High-Speed Trains the UK Won't Stop Ordering
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- Опубликовано: 29 июн 2024
- Follow me on Twitter / intercitysimon
Today, we are taking a trip on the UK's unpopular Class 800 family of trains. These trains are known for being uncomfortable, prone to breaking down, and generally disliked by the public. But are they really as bad as everyone claims? Let's find out on this journey across the UK and Wales.
Train type: Hitachi Class 802 for GWR
Route: Cardiff Central to Exeter and on to Penzance
Train: 10:59 Cardiff Central to Penzance
Distance: 115 miles
Journey time: 2h23m
Average speed: 48 mph
Price: £59.40
Cardiff, Japan 😂
I was like o.O for a sec too
I was like "ah, so this is a parody video then?"
Lmao 😃
Also 'Bridgwater' only has 1 'e' in it, but whatevs, Simon San 🙂
No wonder I can't understand a word anyone says there!!
JR Cardiff
Did you pay for your ticket in Japanese yens?
Having had the misfortune to undertake a few long journeys on these trains in 2nd class, I can confirm they are indeed hideous things. The seats are diabolical, barely any more comfortable than the Thameslink ironing boards (which are short distance commuter trains) while the ride quality is rough and levels of wind noise high. All in all, it makes for a tiring journey. Having travelled on a Siemens made AVE high speed train in Spain and an Austrian Railjet (also made by Siemens) they're like night and day compared to these torture chambers. With UK ticket prices we should have rolling stock of at least equal quality to these countries.
The discomfort is due to more than the seats. 10:02
This is that cǎpǐtǎIǐst "innovation" people keep talking about.
Make things worse, make more money, repeat.
@@henrybn14ar I agree, I quoted two other deficiencies in my comment above. Ride quality and wind noise. I can give you a fourth: they creak and rattle because they're flimsily built.
The worst thing about these seats is that as they wear out they reveal a metal bar across the base, which is as nice as it sounds. Nor is there space for a regular cafe bar onboard, though half of the first class is taken up by a kitchen that only gets used for 3 or so pullman services a day.
Even Cardiff's new tram-trains will have a better version of this seat with more padding, which is actually quite nice since you're no longer sitting on solid metal. Its a shame overall as in first class and better specified units, they're a solid intercity train.
Some of TFW Class 197s have got a food preparation area also.
@@johnUB4478Which won't be used
@@EE12CSVT I don't get why they've put them in, unless for that type of train, is fitted as standard?
Damn I wish there was a Shinkansen from Penzance to Cardiff, Wal-oh sorry, I mean Japan.
Konichiwa a croeso i Gymru...
NB a chroeso i Gymru (aspirate mutation on the ‘c’ after ‘a’)
They're being ordered like crazy before the step free regulations hit. That train was chosen despite operators knowing they absolutely do not conform to incoming wheelchair regs, and that literally means no step and a 1m50 turning round at every doorway.
Christ, I thought Germany was bad with accessibility :(
Like they had a choice? it was the government that chose to order trains that they specified and didn't meet future regs.
@@jabberwockytdi8901 GWR knew the trains wouldn't meet the new standards and rushed the order through. Thus allowing every other operator to order the same type. They'll probably be around for about 10-15yrs more before having to be replaced.
Agree 100% First trip on these 4 years ago wasn't good. Hard uncomfortable seats. Door that refused to open. Recent trip W Cornwall to London..nothing changed except rough riding seems worse. Toilets cramped and acessible toilets few and far between which because of medical needs made things difficult. Another aspect apart from trolly which come along goodness knows when there is no catering on trains. Disgraceful for near 5 hour service. If train runs with 2 units (no connection between them) there is only 1 trolly between them so pot luck on whether it turns up. Seems backward step having to take your own packed lunch or evening meal with you. One of the delights of rail travel in trains even in BR days was that nearly all longer distance trains had a buffet or even restaurant car...and had nice comfortable seats. The inter city 125s were smooth riding. These 800s although having some technical improvements are from a passenger point of view a very backward step. Their rough riding is not much better than trains I have ridden on in Myanmar!
@@robindtgriffiths6487 the 125s had met the end of their extendable life, they couldn't be adapted for the new regs either. So buy the cheapest - off shelf - design possible, yet strangely having less wheelchair access due to a higher step. On the continent it's even worse with everything frantically going double decker. There's literally nowhere for wheelchair users to go once inside it's steps up or down. It's not just wheelchairs, could be elderly or anyone mobility impaired
The 800s have two problems. One is that they have replaced the class 253 HSTs, which have a better passenger ambience (and good seats) and the other is the seats.
It seems that almost all new British rolling stock has uncomfortable seating. The cheap and cheerful approach may be acceptable for short distance commuting, but for longer journeys a degree of comfort is essential.
They really should have used the seating and interior ambience of the GWR HST sets for their IETs. Though that wouldn't fix the awful ride quality of the older IETs. At least until they're refurbed, supposedly the newer IETs used by Lumo, Avanti, Hull and TPE ride much better.
There were projects within the industry years ago to make the seats as small as possible to get more seats in. I thought at the time that they would probably be uncomfortable due to lack of padding. But I imagine that thinness was the brief, not comfort. Iirc it was about the time that disabled toilets were making an appearance, which takes a lot of seat space out of the equation
There was a time when 'intelligent commentators' bought into the BMW 'ultimate driving machine' nonsense and decided that very firm seating was good. Based on the message promulgated in 1920's & 30's Germany by a General Practitioner medic for zero padding and very upright seats as ideal for good posture and eliminating back pain. Although largely disproved by decades of work, including that conducted by the BR labs at Derby when developing seating for high speed trains in the 1960's, the powers that be would rather go with the German mythology than studious research from the British Rail days. Because everything German is better, it says so in the advertising.
@@user-it7lf7kk8m but there was hardly any passengers they like empty seats ? as you can tell i hate trains take a coach if i have to cheers mate
“Class 43” HSTs
The newer trainsets to Lumo and Avanti are coming with a better second class seats
And apparently some suspension improvements that make them much smoother riding than GWR or LNER.
@@mrvwbug4423Yeah there's a presentation by some of the Avanti engineers somewhere on RUclips that goes into this. They went into quite a bit of detail about the improvements made to the newer models, but the 807s will still keep the "lightweight" bogies found on the unpowered coaches in the centre of 9 car 80x. These give the worst ride quality and Hitachi said they wouldn't change for an order as small as Avanti's.
Mostly agree here. The IETs are woefully underequipped for the job they are meant to do - the GWR ones at least. I've commuted on them for college in the West Country for the last two years and used them on the long distance journeys. The seats are fine for 10 minute journeys, but I find them uncomfortable for the 3 hour journeys I undertake on them to London, heaven help people travelling to Penzance from London. I've regularly seen Bike spaces been completely used up and bikes spilling out into the vestibules. WiFi, albeit not great is a vast improvement over other GWR trains, I can at least load up an Internet tab, unless you happen to be in a tunnel. Toilets are adequate, thats it. They're often covered in graffiti, and the paint is peeling off which is never a good look, and if you look closely you will find a wonky panel in many coaches, even after about 7 YEARS in service. Compared with the HSTs, these are horrendous. First class is just a rip off imo.
You just have to apply the same suppression of nerves and emotion as network south west passengers standing for two hours out of Waterloo every day. Done both a lot and prefer sitting uncomfortably.
Cardiff, japan... really
Classic 😅
Those are literally S-Bahn seats (I'm actually not joking) on what's supposed to be equivalent to the ICE, while 1st class is basically a crappier version of ICE 2nd class (yes 2nd class) seats, all because the DfT insisted on being cheapskates for the initial batch that LNER and GWR have to put up with. Thankfully, later versions such as what Lumo have and what Avanti and EMR are getting have more acceptable seating, albeit still sub-standard compared the high-speed trains on the other side of the channel.
That Cardiff, Japan tho makes me wonder the IET was caused that 😂😂😂😂😂😂
The reason of those horrible seats, is the DfT lol, cost cutting moments... although you can try the Lumo's class 803 and Avanti's Class 805
For the first supersonic train in the world it seems to be quite comfortable. Five hours from Japan to England!
He's Danish 😊
Your comments about these trains are spot on. I've used them only when on holiday in the south west and they are fine for journeys of one hour or less but for anything else they are terrible. My criticisms are the poor ride quality particularly over poor trackwork, the ironing board seats, the harsh overhead lighting and the green interior colour scheme is not really to my taste. There is just no comparison with the old HST trains which have served the railways well for the past 40 odd years and which were a darned sight more comfortable. I know the train operating companies are largely constrained by government finance and health and safety regulations but I think they could do a lot better. Does anyone in GWR management listen to customer feedback at all ?
"Unnecessarily complex ticketing system" - damn right!
I didn't know that part of Wales is in Japan, wheres the bullet train?
The whole concept is flawed: carriages too long, wheelbase too short, wheels too small, window bay spacing is wrong dual mode is wasteful and inefficient.
It's asking for trouble.
The IET is a pretty good train platform, only the introductory TOCs had absolutely shite seat selection forced on them by the Treasury. The 803, 805, 807, and 810 (EMR even let passenger test them in certain stations while in development) all have better seats. Pretty sure when the 800s, 801s, and 802s are due for a refurb they'll be pretty great.
Yes. They just need to sort out the wheel hunting, but that involves TOCs and NR working together so hahahaha good luck.
They are a fundamentally flawed concept- see my comment earlier.
@@justhowulikeit6432
The hunting is probably incurable. The vehicles are too long, the wheelbase is too short, the wheels are too small.
@@henrybn14ar Yeah, and those wheel issues cause massive derailments in low-speed collisions, which Hitachi failed at modeling (or covered up, it's likely with the Japanese) and was only revealed after one got hit.
We were riding around in smoother, quieter and more comfortable trains back in the 1970s built by BR. This is purely about cost; Exeter to Penzance is a lovely journey, even in this rolling stock, which has the benefit that it provides free passage for our dog. He roams the carriage under the seats saying hello to all the passengers. And, before some jobsworth reprimands me, everyone was keen to greet him and it made their journey on those uncomfortable seats a bit more enjoyable.
They are so disliked by the public that I'm yet to sit in a seat for trips from Reading to London on the GWML. Train nerds live in a parallel universe.
What annoys me about these trains is that the passenger comfort is worse than the 50 year old HSTs they replaced. It's as if someone went for the cheapest option..... and then halved the budget. Terrible.
You made sacrifice for us so we don’t have to .
I have done this route regular and sometimes only as far as Bristol,,your analysis is perfect representation of these trains. All the best to you.
A very interesting video from the perspective of a Scandinavian visitor. I would certainly agree with many of your comments other than the location of Cardiff in Japan (there is not one there- I've looked!), but I would suspect that might have occurred with auto-correction of text, so I will forgive that.
These trains are one of the consequences of the privatisation of British Rail, where control was removed from an organisation that knew how to run a railway. They were specified by the Government's Department for Transport, who have determined that passenger comfort is unimportant if they can pack in more seats. Hitachi are a good manufacturer, but they can only provide what the incompetent customer specifies.
It seems that the toilet wash basins are frequently faulty in Britain- Due to simple equipment like taps (faucets) being replaced by high-tech sensors at greater cost. I remember when everything used to work and seats were comfortable.
Rail fares in Britain are extortionate, but again, this is due to the Government, whose dogmatic policies have wrecked the finances of most British industries.
High tech sensors are there to protect passengers from infection. As an aside, the UK is now the fourth largest exporting country in the world, so the finances don't seem to be quite so bad as you may think.
@@glynnwright1699 The most effective form of infection control is handwashing (especially after use of the toilet). If the water is not available due to sensor failure, as is now very common on trains, then the spread of infection is greatly increased.
@@MervynPartin It isn't rocket science, just make it work.
I travel on these trains every day on the way to/from work, which is only a 20 minute journey, but I’ve also travelled on them extensively long-distance.
Honestly, I don’t think they’re that bad. The seats can be hit-or-miss depending on how worn out they are, but certainly after 4 hours or so it definitely starts to become uncomfortable.
They obviously don’t compare to other electric units like the 390s or older Mk3/4 sets, but I’d say there are no long-distance DMUs in the UK better than the IETs. I’d certainly rather an IET over the likes of a Voyager or an Adelante without hesitation.
Of what I've personally ridden in the UK, for me the best trains are basically a 2 way tie between the 390s and the MK4s. I've ridden the TfW mark 4s that are hauled by class 67s and they were very quiet and comfortable, I've heard the IC225 MK4s that still operate with LNER might be even better. The 390s are also quiet and comfortable, except for tunnel blast if the door seals are getting dodgy.
I'm another GWR area local. What Simon hasn't picked up on is that this service is probably one of the best appointed interegional stopping services ever. The IETs are covering for HST Castle class trains, which are being retired. However, before this, the service used to run Cardiff to Taunton. On that, you would have got a 4 car class 143 Pacer if you were lucky. If you don't know what these are, they were effectively bus type bodies mounted on four wheel goods wagon chassis. I like the IETs, with the exception of very poor ride quality over 100mph (which was fixed on the last train I rode on). I personally actually like the seats (though appreciate others hate them)- I find them much better than a Voyager seat. I have never seen a seat come apart as shown in the video (though did see that happen with an SNCF AGC seat). Like the cabin ambiance (except for that puke green, fair enough)- it reminds me of an SBB EWIV. The ambiance stays reasonable when the train is full, too. Also, IETs are speed deamons, especially on electric- the performance above 100 (if you have a good one) is great fun. Good point about no sink water- the last 802 I took on this route was also out of water in one toilet.
The water was working, it’s just ridiculously difficult to activate the sensor which is somewhere up in the left corner and much further back than you would think.
I’m sorry you had to experience this 😂 I had to do one from Paddington - Reading last week, 25 minute journey and I was uncomfortable after that
Agree about the seats, I travelled gwr Paddington - Reading return recently, last time was in a 2018 HST intercity 125, the HST was a proper intercity train with decent seats and nice interior, the class 800 is a very different experience, a tired interior, but they run fast so that 23 minute route is over quickly, wouldn’t want to stay sitting much longer.
Absolutely spot on assessment of the 802 , its seating arrangements, and the fact these are probably the cheapest option on the market for operators to buy.
Cheap and nasty train meaning a bigger profit for Train Operating Company Leasing companies.
The 802's vibrate from a whole host of problems such as super lightweight construction to undersized and understiff bushings in the suspension torsion bars and theres no disguising the big diesel engines firing up
Variants of these trains are run by many long distance operators in the UK , so you can't avoid them.
The British public have been well and truly "stiffed up" by the privatisation of the railways.
Du skal regne med at GWR var de første som fik disse 800 sæt og den engelske regiring og GWR havde besluttet at de sæder i standard klassen skulle være strygebræt sæder. De nye sæt 805 som Avanti west coast har modtaget har bedre sæder i standard klassen og ser helt andetleds ud. Jeg er fan af disse togsæt på el kan du komme imellem de store byer på ca 2 timer med 200 km/t
The rotten seats are only a little bit of what is wrong with these trains.
I think you got what the smaller budget paid for. Decades ago, those who have bought Mercedes W116 S-class and R107 convertible were paying top money for terrible seats. I still remember how my backside feel after one hour sitting on it.
As a local of GWR and their IETs, I don't understand the hate. I find them well sized, fast, comfortable and smooth enough. The only issue is the reliability; namely the cracks found which took them fully out of service for a few weeks.
I'm with you on this. I myself like them also.
I think the problem is as a new fleet they dont meet some fairly basic modern standards. If we'd looked at these 10 years ago you'd think they were great. In 2024 however they're "ok". The seats are inexcusible and clearly were a budget constraint. The ride being poor, the overall "cheap" feel and very basic amenities, combined with the poor seats is what makes them only "ok".
When you compare it to modern fleets in other countries they are laughably basic.They'd be fine on a local route but for long distance they're just all around a poor train when compared to other modern fleets. It does feel a little like some are excusing it because of how awful our rail fleet has been for years so in comparison these can seem fantastic.
@Rick-vm8bl I had a couple of trips on some 197s last week. Tbh, I was glad to get off them, and was most glad when some 153s turned up
In a few days time I will be travelling to Devon in one of these. I'm not looking forward to it but the prospect of driving there in summer is even worse. If the powers that be really want us out of our cars and into public transport they will need to do better than this. I used to travel by train a lot many years ago (Steam Days!) and remember seats that actually had decent cushioning, even if there was a layer of dirt over most things. I'd rather have a 3 hour journey in comfort than a 2 hour one on cheap "upholstery".
@@MrDavil43 it could be worse. You could be travelling on a GWR Class 387. The seats are awful on them.
They don't have the best ride quality when paired with some crap line quality... However, the main issue is the seat type they were forced to use by the DFT and thus poor comfort. The newer units with Avanti and those in use by Lumo with a different seat manufacturer instantly have a much better overall experience. Other than that, they're pretty decent and have great acceleration, which helps cut journey times or rid delays when there has been a hold up.
Not to mention the bi mode features make them accessible on more routes
That's because the trains were ordered by Transport ministry bureaucrats and forced on the train operators. The people ordering the trains didn't think any further than "Japanese = reliable" and "how cheap can we get them" .
We use to be a world leader in trains but my God have we fallen well behind the rest of the world, I would safely say we have the worst rail infrastructure of any developed country. These shite Hitachi trains we have now are just embarrassing they are terrible.
I think we have fallen behind the world in almost everything.
@@paulwilkinson8347 you're not wrong, I'm struggling to think of one area we are class leading....
We are world leaders at moaning on the Internet.
@timmelia7551 not just Internet.
Its the train operators who order the trains, NOT the UK! And in nearly all cases, these are non UK owned operators who specify the level of fittings and trim.
I wholeheartedly agree with your review. These trains are so uncomfortable that I avoid them whenever possible. I prefer trains for long distance journeys but take my car if there's a Class 800 involved. The people who designed and approved the seat design should be forced to commute on them for ever more.
How about the notorious Pirates, of Penzance? By that, in Denmark we still have what is named "English Bridges" passing over trains, covered with nice stones but actually from concrete. They became built by a British Firm. Finn. Denmark
These things are not great, but they are a huge relief when waiting at Cardiff Central & something with more carriages turns up & you have an actual, real probability of getting a seat.
Terrible ride quality and an overall blandness - to think the Country which invented railways are now proud to assemble these non entities in kit form!
📍Cardiff, Japan
if I remember correctly it is built by Hitachi Italia
I agree. The time I travelled on these, they were uncomfortable. I preferred the older HSTs which were designed and built 40-50 years earlier.
Lomdon is expert in stealing things rather than to develop or create .
Yet they don't have the power to make good and comfortable trains and full electrification.
I noticed the door you entered was quite badly damaged. I have never seen that on similar trains before.
Much of the issue seems to lie with decisions that GWR has made for the interior of the cars. They’ve clearly gone cheap. Here I have to point out that British trains commonly offer cheap looking accommodations. They do seemingly have, however, better luggage storage than most of their peers in the UK. Some trains have few if any luggage racks, only overhead storage. We just took a family trip over there and only 1 train in 6 from Manchester to London (with stop offs) had such racks.
The vibrations you felt are the most valid complaint I saw that lies in the equipment itself. In 2024, these units should offer a smooth ride and that’s not acceptable. The rest is typically the second class experience that National Rail seems to offer. Compared with SNCF or DB, their product is rubbish.
I've heard the GWR IETs are the worst of the bunch. Supposedly the Lumo class 803s have a better standard class seat with much cheaper fares, and the new Avanti West coast class 805s have the same seating as their refurbished class 390s, and the 805 has many improvements over the older IETs and is known to have much smoother ride quality.
This are seats are designed according to futuristic fast operation of this trains, thus not requiring much comfort for a long and briefe journey on standard class. The huge difference is that in U.K. High Speed is only for domestic use on HS1 from London to Ashford and not any sooner replicated to the rest of the nation where this modern trains arrived even before modern infrastructure was installed to accomodate them, hence standard class seats not good enough for the old operational standards of slow moving traffic compared to what it should be in the 21st cetnury. Simple as that.
カーディフ?
As an America, I find it amusing that 115 miles is considered "long distance".
And anywhere on Amtrak's network that isn't the NEC, that trip would take 4 hours haha. I'm taking the California Zephyr in December just from Denver to Grand Junction and that's 7 and a half hours for a 250mi trip.
Yes the ride quality of the 802s is not great and you can end up with a seat where that metal bar under the seat squab can certainly be felt. The tray tables are good and they work well if you have a laptop. The seat reservation display system is very good, and the way you can check for green lights at a glance as you enter the carriage is commendable. The noise from those underfloor diesel engines is quite well muted but that allows the rattling of the fittings within the carriage to come to the fore. The price of those Exeter to Cardiff journeys is steep, especially when you consider there is no on-board catering. The comment about our complex ticketing system was well made. I don't find the lighting in the carriages to be a problem but I know some people find it too harsh. At least this service did not end up with some of the old class 150s or similar which would be even worse for this kind of journey! However, the 802s are not an advance on the Castle Class trains they replaced. For new trains to disappoint like this is not great!
The Hitachi units owned by Transpennine Express and Avanti have comfier seats, otherwise all the same problems the GWR and LNER ones have
0:22 this is a troll right? Normally, I would dismiss this as a troll but Simon has never come off as a trolling type of person 😂
I don't think that Cardiff is in Japan... Anyways I have been on a train in England that was just a small regional train and I'm sure the seats were much better than whatever the ones on the train you just reviewed are. As always great video.
Cardiff, Japan. J A P A N.
The problem is the horrible cramped seats in these things
Through the automated ticket barriers to platforms, then TRACK 2, TRAIN STATION
I’ll have you know that not all of the IETs are the same. I guess HullTrains, TransPennine Express, LNER and GWR have all taken it too far, but you should really try Lumo and Avanti West Coast IETs. They really aren’t that bad!
Seats spoil an otherwise excellent train. The two hour journey into London plays havoc with my back.
The older class 800 IET's suck so bad. The newest class 805 have apparently improved at least with Avanti West Coast. These GWR IET's are probably going to have to be refurbished very soon for a new train
Seats are hard and uncomfortable for long journeys , no buffet car , the first class lounge of GWR in London has also had all the food options reduced in a race to the bottom.
Treat yourself, come down to Kent & have a ride on the Javelin 🙂
With UK railway prices trains should have Japanese level service or at least Spanish. But it is not even close. My suggestion is to raise subsidies, cut prices by 50% and market it as low cost train. Ryanair on the rails.
You should try and review the Enterprise service between Belfast and Dublin. 😉
These gwr ones are the first generation ones so obvious they aint gonna be the best but as time goes on they got better,for example the new Avanti class 805s which have had a very positive welcome into service, i recommend you try them
I disagree. While the GWR (and to an extent LNER and TPE) Class 80Xs do have poor seats, it's not right at all to then say "all over 200 of these [Class 8XXs] are terrible" like you did.
Classes 800, 801 and 802 were all the initial order of the Intercity Express Programme, and are all fitted with the same seats which are likely to be pulled and replaced come their first refurb.
• Class 803s (lumo) have different seats and a denser layout.
• Class 805s and 807s (Avanti) have, again, completely different seats.
• Class 810s (EMR) are so fundamentally different to the other Class 80Xs that they've had to go through their own whole re-approval and testing, and still aren't in service, once again they have their own new seats in Standard and First.
It's inaccurate to conflate all the IEP trains, they each have their own quirks, but all the initial orders famously have bad seats leading to every order since having them swapped.
In Cardiff Station it is illegal to have anywhere to sit.
Given that First GW/GWR trains have always been terrible to ride on, I'm curious if these Hitatchi IETs are universally bad or if its just First Group being cheap as usual.
Agree with your comments. These trians were designed and specified by the clowns at the Department of Transport. These idiots never travel by train so came up with a cost cutting spec. Horrible seats and poor ride. These trains replaced the over 40years old HST 125's which from a passenger point of view were considerably more comfortable.
Since Wales is now part of Japan, you should be happy that they haven't reconfigured it to 2+3 seating in coach 🙂
Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during the meetings where they chose the seats. You'd think this would be a very important part of buying new trains. If a train is not outfitted with any food service, it means they consider it to be a short haul train and doesn't need comfort.
Ironically, the seats on our commuter trains in Montréal are more comfortable than VIA Rail's new seats in its siemens trains designed for journeys of 5 or more hours (usually 6 when you include delays). Anothert telling point these trains are menat for short journeys: ibaggage space:
Expecting people to stow luggage in overhead means they expect more day trips than trip to a city where you stay multiple days (and thus have more luggage).
Via Rail must have ordered a different seat than Amtrak or Brightline, because the US variant of the Siemens Venture cars are actually known for being quite comfortable (Amtrak and Brightline use the same seats and interior, just in different color schemes). They can't run 2+3 in the US even with our ample loading gauge because the aisles have to be wide enough for wheelchairs.
average speed doesn't account for waiting times at station platforms?
Lucky you didn't pick a well used seat. There is a steel bar across the middle of it, a bar!
I just came here for the “Cardiff, Japan” comments 😂
0:25 cardiff, japan....at first i thought...is it cardiff TO japan..but that's not possible by train...? and then i wondered is this a theme amusement park in japan designed to look like a uk town?
Simon are doing too much travelling in Japan these days 😂.
3:27 No label of that country northeast of Holland?
Who moved Cardiff to Japan? 😂
1:52 You mean British Rail Class 756.
5:05 Some lady peed in here.
9:30 Don't worry Simon. Fourth of July will become Independence from Conservatives Day in the UK. Complete with fireworks at 10:00 pm.
cost - cutting cattle carts, yep! am liking that one !
I believe Hitachi bought Ansaldo Breda that produced the disaster IC4 trains for the Danish railway.
I rode these in Taiwan on my daily commute. Never had a problem. Perhaps the way NR and the TOCs specified them was bad. The Avanti version seems okay though.
Seat are like sitting on a board. Absolutely no padding and so uncomfortable.
Just the outward appearance with paint flaking off the (Aluminium?) Shells is bloody disgusting.
Cheap construction, but with premium prices - a scandalous ripoff.
Here's the reason why passenger railway transport should remain public.
GWR are scammers and should go screw themselves.
The seats on these trains are the worst indeed 🤬
I'll never understand why folks from other countries feel the need to lie about the British weather. London not even in the top 30 rainiest cities in Europe, but you crack on with the stereotypes my man.
First of all, London is not the rainiest location in the UK, and he was talking about the UK in general which is one of the rainiest countries in Europe. He did not mention London as he wasn't there and it's not the rainiest place in the UK.
As for the notions, it's not just about the amount of rain but the number of days it does rain and even London gets a lot of them, just not pouring rain but constant light annoying rain. Apart from that even when it does not rain it's a lot of time gloomy and cloudy and is one of the cities with the least duration of sunshine in Europe among the bigger cities.
And apart from all that, this notion comes from you. People in the UK say that that's the way it is, your TV programs present the situation that way so even if it was not true you're the ones that say it's like that.
@@AL5520 Seems I've touched a nerve. Of course London isn't the rainiest place in the UK. But if you're trying to measure fairly, rather than make a point you've preconceived in your head, you obviously need to choose a specific - but atypical - place due to the wildly varying climates experienced across individual countries - would you call Spain cold just because you can go skiing in the mountains? But I'll play your game for a second; take Londonderry in Northern Ireland, the ACTUAL wettest place in the UK, and it still doesn't even come in the top 10. And please don't tell me I need to point out that cloud (which I completely agree the UK does experience a lot of) isn't the same thing as rain. And to your last point, I will concede some people do like to joke about the weather, but some also like to joke about how we're going to win every football tournament we enter - but I bet you don't think we're amazing at football...
@@AM-sc1oz The one that complained is you so you are that one that someone touched his nerve (Simon and now me). When Simon talked about the UK in general you've opted to talk about London, even though he wasn't in London. As facts show London is not the rainiest place in the UK but it is cloudy and gloomy more the the vast majority of big cities in Europe.
As for your point on Spain, it's sound like a climate denier that mentions a specific place and point in time while the data is an average. The facts are that, as i said in my reply, the AVERAGE rain fall in the UK is one of the highest in Europe. This means that there are places with and duration that it might be higher of lower but the general amount over the year of the UK is high.
It's also a fact that most of the people in the UK think that, say that, complain about that and use every opportunity to go for a sunny break in a place with less rain and gloom.
That said, the UK, is still a great and beautiful place, despite (and probably also due to) it's weather.
Look at the rust and paint flaking off round the doors. They’re nearly new for goodness sake
Cardiff 😐😐😐
Cardiff, Japan 😯😯😯😯
also uk rail transit is actually depressing, as Jay Foreman said "we got it first, now we're the worst"
I saw cardiff japan and I though for a sec, wait, international rail review? but I think I was just wrong
3:13 SCR fans are going to be happy
Cardiff to Nagoya??😅😅
I rode one of these when they were new from Paddington to Swansea, the ride was like sitting on a park bench. If I hadn’t bought a return ticket I might have walked back. No shop because focus groups never used one in the old stock staff told me. Absolutely shit 💩 machines.
i like the train interior, it give that green effect
The old GWR HST sets pulled that color scheme off better. Better lighting ambience (the IETs are notorious for annoyingly bright lighting), and darker greens in the color palette that match the British Racing Green color used by GWR on their livery.
i have been on theese trains from aberdeen to york and penzance to newport and honestly there not horrible completley unnexceptible on the long services that they operate on but not horrible in my opinion
A train designed by accountants. Absolutely rubbish these new trains. I use regularly to go to London and always dread the ride back in the evening when you want to relax. The wifi is total garbage too so difficult to work.
These trains are truly awful. As we all to our cost, the seats are little better than sitting on wooden planks. First, who own GWR and the First Bus company have better seats in their buses. Not that the bus services are anything to shout about. Hard luck if you book a seat and find yourself next to a fat git.
It's almost impossible to get larger suitcases to fit into the shelves, which are far smaller than were on the old 125 trains. If you place cases under the seat in front; there is no room for feet.
Bridgwater,not Bridgewater
I prefer the 80x over Voyagers any day. I also move IC trains e.g LNER now Cross Country doesn't operate them
I use these trains from Westbury to Paddington , 1 hr 25.
The sets are not greata nd while not too bad I would not fancy a London to Exeter or Plymouth and beyond journey at all. The seat availability indicators are excellent and need to be because GWR cannot reliably run a long train and cut back to 5 cars throwing everything into chaos. The worst thing though is the ride, after Newbury towards Reading and Paddington it is all electric and the lurches and bumps are quite worrying at the higher speeds on this section.
This may be the train but i suspect its poor quality or very old permanent way which no doubt in the true British way was probably not upgrades with electrification as toa politician a new train looks good, replaced track looks the same as it was .
Another better thing is the amiable west country trolley ladies
Absolutely awful things, I avoid them whenever possible.