'Ironing board' seats to be removed from Thameslink trains
The change is being made as part of the operator's rebranding to Great British Railways
Last updated 9 hours ago
Thameslink is getting rid of its so-called 'ironing board' seats - months after being nationalised.
Extra cushioning is going to be installed by the operator on its trains serving London and other areas as it rebrands to Great British Railways.
The change is being welcomed by passengers and campaigners after complaints about seating on board Thameslink trains were made.
The Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has described the move as 'public ownership of our railways in action':
“Less than 100 days since GTR transferred into public control, we’re delivering on the improvements commuters have been asking for.
“From next year, we’ll start getting rid of the dreaded ironing board seats so passengers can enjoy comfier, more pleasant journeys on some of Britain’s busiest commuter routes.
“We know fixing Britain’s railway is more than a refurb job and moves like this are just the start of putting our railway back on the right track.
“We’ve frozen fares for the first time in 30 years and publicly owned operators have added 76,000 extra seats on to the network.
“Once established, Great British Railways will focus relentlessly on delivering a reliable, modern service that puts passenger experience at the heart of everything it does.”
Thameslink is part of Govia Thameslink Railway, which is the UK's largest train company.
It was nationalised and brought under government control at the end of May this year.
John Whitehurst, chief executive at GTR, said: “Our customers tell us that comfort matters, which is why we’ve been working on plans to improve seating on Thameslink services and give the millions of people who use our extensive network a better experience.
“Through customer research with everyday commuters, we’ve gathered valuable insight to help us shape the best possible solution for cushion comfort onboard our high-capacity trains. We’re pleased to move forward with plans and bring about those much-expected improvements.”