Also 'Bridgwater' only has 1 'e' in it, but whatevs, Simon San 🙂
@yurkshirelad3 ай бұрын
No wonder I can't understand a word anyone says there!!
@bookie56673 ай бұрын
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.
@jabberwockytdi89013 ай бұрын
That's exactly what happened and that someone was the DfT. ( Don't like effing trains)
@Perrygallo3 ай бұрын
And the Intercity 225s...they are so comfortable
@robtyman42813 ай бұрын
Yea, this decision would have been made by another bloody Tory idiot who never travels by train.
@daffyduk773 ай бұрын
323s any day. I know they're not meant for long distance
@B-A-L3 ай бұрын
They spent all the money on high quality Japanese engineering and poor quality British interiors.
Reduce fares for journeys down to split ticket prices where split tickets at certain stations they stop at in middle of journey make your journey cheaper than asking for an end to end ticket at the ticket office. It's shocking that it can be so much more expensive to get from A to B without splitting your ticket. Why a train fare should be a lot dearer travelling from one station to a destination than it from another station that's the station before only 3 minutes away. Can it be more expensive from stations one station closer to the destination? It's difficult to understand how and why so many of the fares are set the way they are. Peak time train journeys are an ancient thing that was outdated long ago. Why not have business class carriages to replace first class carriages as well. They can be the extra peak time business class carriages on routes where there is currently only Standard Class travel available, but fares a bit more expensive than standard class travel. Currently First class peak time journeys are charged at a ridiculous extortionate price. Maybe standard class train, tram, coach, ferry and hovercraft travel could offer fares at the same per mile rate, with integrated through tickets between all 5 modes of travel on offer as well. Plus bus options for normal bus journeys from/to all stations in the UK too.
@pineappleroadАй бұрын
@@dvidclapperton up in the north east there is a rail line that is having passenger services introduced or reintroduced (not sure which), and they have stated there will be integrated fares with the Tyne and Wear Metro for POP card users (its a contactless smartcard) I suppose its a step in the right direction (but anyone who doesn’t have a POP card is out of luck, as I believe paper tickets will still be separate, although paper ticket prices do seem to follow the “Zone” system that POP cards use)
@beeble2003Ай бұрын
@@dvidclapperton "Why not have business class carriages to replace first class carriages as well." What's the difference? "They can be the extra peak time business class carriages on routes where there is currently only Standard Class travel available" No there can't. Trains run in fixed formations and have done for decades. It's not economically viable to have trains or parts of trains that are only used for some of the day. "train, tram, coach, ferry and hovercraft travel" Er... _hovercraft_ ?!? The Hoverspeed service to France ended 20 years ago because the Channel Tunnel made it redundant. Is there anywhere in the world that hovercraft are used for public transport today?
@beeble2003Ай бұрын
@@pineappleroad "anyone who doesn’t have a POP card is out of luck" It's so annoying when transit companies require you to have a special card to use their services, instead of just using the contactless debit/credit cards that we've all had in our pockets for the last fifteen years. It's like that elderly aunt who always gives you gift vouchers for birthdays and Christmas, only in reverse.
@vaio969413 ай бұрын
JR Cardiff
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
The GWR green almost could be JR east 😅
@B-A-L3 ай бұрын
JR Cardiff would be run on time and on budget!
@rayyan6515Ай бұрын
@@Simon-Andersen Saikyo Line 😅
@ethanhowarth23803 ай бұрын
Should've jumped on the cross country train to Nottingham for a real horrible service. 3.5 hour journey with no power outlets, non-existent leg room, smallest tray table in existence, a toilet lock that makes you question the worthwhileness of going to the toilet and definitely not enough carriages to deal with the passenger volume at Birmingham!
@stanley36472 ай бұрын
Nottingham XC service to Cardiff? 2 or 3 cars class 170 - i guess ;) Terrible and expensive.
@lordtherapeutics2 ай бұрын
The Liverpool - Norwich via Nottingham is equally dreadful
@oj23392 ай бұрын
@@lordtherapeutics That's probably the worst journey you can possibly take on UK train network - likelihood of cancellation incredibly high, have never taken the full length without a breakdown and never more than two carriages for an exceptionally busy service across the length of the journey
@thesaintnoodle2 ай бұрын
@@lordtherapeutics it never bothered me when i go to or from grantham since it's only 1 to 4 stops but... i couldn't imagine being on that thing for longer than an hour lol
@jamesgoodman1862 ай бұрын
@lordtherapeutics I'm on that one about once a month. The return trip from Nottingham in the evening is unbearable at times. For some reason it goes down from 4 to 2 coaches at Nottingham so everyone is crammed in with the isle full of people standing. The experince is not helped by Nottingham Station being an absolute mess with frequent (sometimes multiple) platform changes at the last minute and the train normally being late.
@Londonsteve563 ай бұрын
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.
@henrybn14ar3 ай бұрын
The discomfort is due to more than the seats. 10:02
@caramelldansen22043 ай бұрын
This is that cǎpǐtǎIǐst "innovation" people keep talking about. Make things worse, make more money, repeat.
@Londonsteve563 ай бұрын
@@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.
@maly2ts4083 ай бұрын
Well , rip off Britain
@robertp.wainman40943 ай бұрын
@@Londonsteve56 Yes, they certainly feel very flimsy.
@robertp.wainman40943 ай бұрын
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!
@Simon-xc5oy2 ай бұрын
Yes, we make nothing here at all. None of the parts etc, no casting or our own steel. Its just other countries parts, banged together by minimum wage slaves in Hitachi factories etc....
@jpaulc441Ай бұрын
@@Simon-xc5oy That's because of the global free market. Other countries can produce steel more cheaply than over here so that's what we use. Same with shipbuilding and most other heavy industries.
@Simon-xc5oyАй бұрын
@@jpaulc441 I know. Trouble is the Chinese steel is crap. Its really pathetic. I have searched for tools for my car. Audi TT and it needs for example Torx screw bits. Got some of those...used them. Snapped rather than unbolt the bolt I was using them on. Got some more different ones...same thing...just fall apart. Spark plug remover...snapped..Oil filter wrench, snapped...all made in China with Chinese steel. My previous car a custom MX5 (had no original parts on it, all aftermarket) had a Super Dragger Stainless Steel exhaust, full system and manifold. Was on it when I bought the car...that stainless steel rusted at a joint and ....snapped! Had to take it to a specialist to get it welded. Proper quality stainless steel does not rust or mark. As its STAINLESS! And the welder said it was cheap Chinese stainless steel as that is all there is these days. Truly sad that we cant make things and compete anymore, due to the global markets as you say that is all true. We used to make our own steel and now in the future all these buildings etc will have issues due to the cheap Chinese rubbish they are made of. Cheap is not always better....
@toasty8547Ай бұрын
@Simon-xc5oy cheap chinese steal is crap. They can make good steel but its more expensive
@jiyon1675 күн бұрын
I build these and they’re far from kit form.
@simonround24392 ай бұрын
I recently went from London to Edinburgh on LNER on a new train. The seats were similar to these and were causing me discomfort within an hour. After nearly five hours on the train it was agonising. The trains they replaced had great seats. Travel 20 years ago was way more comfortable than now.
@TC.C2 ай бұрын
They are sooooo uncomfortable!
@Simon-Andersen2 ай бұрын
Try Lumo next time, people in the comments here say they have better seats on their version of the train 😄
@robredz2 ай бұрын
A 1970's Mk 3 or even a MK1or earlier compartment carriage would be more comfortable
@jp-i2 ай бұрын
Had the in-laws over from Texas a couple of years ago and wanted to take them from E'boro to London by train (so they could see our green and pleasant land, and learn what a public transport system looks like 😀).... Had already heard bad things about the "Azuma" LNER seats, so decided I would splash out on 1st class. I gave a standard class seat a try during the journey and was absolutely dismayed that it passed the election process. Compared to a Mk4 or Mk3 coach, the downgrade in comfort is a complete disgrace!!! With six 1st class tickets to buy, I was bracing for a huge bill. But I was blessed that LNER were having a sale, so it didn't;t break the bank. But having tried the std class seat, I'd stump up for 1st class everytime now. At least until they retire / refit the Azuma stock.
@IshtarNike2 ай бұрын
I kid you not. I've had better seats on 60 year old Chinese trains.
@missm103 ай бұрын
Damn I wish there was a Shinkansen from Penzance to Cardiff, Wal-oh sorry, I mean Japan.
@stanley36472 ай бұрын
Class 801 is a Hitachi, Japanese train ;) Assembeld in UK.
@keystonedriving81803 ай бұрын
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.
@mrvwbug44233 ай бұрын
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.
@Dilbert-o5k3 ай бұрын
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
@etherealbolweevil62683 ай бұрын
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.
@robertsmith98103 ай бұрын
@@Dilbert-o5k 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
@JoshuaTheCuberYT3 ай бұрын
“Class 43” HSTs
@benklomp46163 ай бұрын
Did you pay for your ticket in Japanese yens?
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
I would have liked to 😅 I have some leftover ones from my trip to actual Japan 😝
@willhovell9019Ай бұрын
No he's an agent for Siemens, the company still going after using slave and forced labour during WW2, like many contemporary German Engineering firm. Convenient airbrushing. Companies like Siemens should pay reparations to Poland and occupied countries.
@jpofgwynedd38783 ай бұрын
Konichiwa a croeso i Gymru...
@hogyndrwg62533 ай бұрын
NB a chroeso i Gymru (aspirate mutation on the ‘c’ after ‘a’)
@aric77262 ай бұрын
Os dych chi'n eisiau swnio'n posh, siwr@@hogyndrwg6253
@AymanTravelTransport3 ай бұрын
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.
@malcolmelias34963 ай бұрын
Try taking the latest ICE the seat spacing is a disaster.
@janv7773 ай бұрын
@@malcolmelias3496ICE4? I‘m 1,94m and can’t complain. Lufthansa Economy on a long distance flight is worse.
@AymanTravelTransport2 ай бұрын
@@malcolmelias3496 if you mean the ICE 3neo which I have ridden from Frankfurt to Cologne, they're still miles better (in terms of both comfort and spacing) than what our Avanti trains have (both refurb and unrefurb), which are one of the better modern seats in the UK. British loading gauge is a b*%ch.
@HotoadleАй бұрын
Some of the earlier Eurostar sets had awful back killing seats too.
@jakegtr3 ай бұрын
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.
@johnUB44783 ай бұрын
Some of TFW Class 197s have got a food preparation area also.
@EE12CSVT3 ай бұрын
@@johnUB4478Which won't be used
@johnUB44783 ай бұрын
@@EE12CSVT I don't get why they've put them in, unless for that type of train, is fitted as standard?
@RWL20123 ай бұрын
@@EE12CSVTapparently they're going to use the fridge to cool the free bottles of water given to passengers when the air conditioning doesn't work very well 😝
@RWL20123 ай бұрын
@@johnUB4478it was KeolisAmey Wales (old 2018-2021 TfW Rail)'s decision to have it fitted.
@JP_TaVeryMuch3 ай бұрын
09:30 "... cost - cutting cattle carts for human transport..." NUFF SAID
@andymerrettАй бұрын
yeah, as in 'thank goodness he's stopped".
@reececollison5101Ай бұрын
0:11 that corrosion around the door really says everything about that train before I’ve even watched the video!!
@Mike-kc8rl2 ай бұрын
Can you imagine these 800s lasting front-line service for forty years? Well, it's a tall order, but that's exactly what the BR 43/253 sets did and are sorely missed and not just by our backsides!
@Simon-Andersen2 ай бұрын
I'd give these 20 tops 😂
@Adetv1616Ай бұрын
We used to make our trains in Crewe…. Thanks a lot Maggie thatcher BREL rip😊
@Duncs196111 күн бұрын
And York and Doncaster!
@Martindyna10 күн бұрын
It was Sir John Major, not Margaret Thatcher, I think she thought it was a privatisation too far. The government could have argued for BR to be exempt from EU Directive 91/440 in 1991due to it's efficiency. But they couldn't wait to break BR up so we lost a lot of our expertise and continue to waste money into share holders pockets while Government subsidy is far higher than in BR days. To add insult to injury it's virtually impossible to reverse the damage although gradual nationalisation as franchises end is a start i guess. P.S. I don't like the new name 'Great British Railways' either, too nationalistic, we're not great any more and the trains aren't British any more, sad to say .
@TheAntisocialTrain3 ай бұрын
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.
@etherealbolweevil62683 ай бұрын
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.
@TheAntisocialTrain3 ай бұрын
@@etherealbolweevil6268 Either that or nabbing an aisle seat, can stand for a minute or two then
@rolanddano30713 ай бұрын
The newer trainsets to Lumo and Avanti are coming with a better second class seats
@mrvwbug44233 ай бұрын
And apparently some suspension improvements that make them much smoother riding than GWR or LNER.
@jakegtr3 ай бұрын
@@mrvwbug4423Yeah there's a presentation by some of the Avanti engineers somewhere on KZbin 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.
@Andrewjg_893 ай бұрын
And East Midlands Railway Class 810.
@Yandex-y1p3 ай бұрын
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.
@nurbsivonsirup14163 ай бұрын
Christ, I thought Germany was bad with accessibility :(
@jabberwockytdi89013 ай бұрын
Like they had a choice? it was the government that chose to order trains that they specified and didn't meet future regs.
@Yandex-y1p3 ай бұрын
@@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.
@robindtgriffiths64873 ай бұрын
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!
@Yandex-y1p3 ай бұрын
@@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
@danieledwards8695Ай бұрын
Is it sad if I say that I thought they weren’t bad trains purely on the basis that it could have been a lot worse? It’s electric, available seating screens, and fast. Most British people would have thought it was Christmas to have a *half good* train!
@Arghans3 ай бұрын
We already have to avoid Cross Country trains since their introduction and now we get these which are unbearably uncomfortable once you hit 3 hours on those seats. Given the high ticket price I only take the SWR line between Devon and London these days and they’re very comfortable.
@jabberwockytdi89013 ай бұрын
That's because the trains were ordered by DfT 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" .
@SomeOne-p6f2 ай бұрын
Apparently when the trains had been delivered someone from the company came over to oversee things and was horrified that they'd used seats meant for short hop journeys.
@polla22562 ай бұрын
Yep, the DfT fully specified these things
@Martindyna10 күн бұрын
In Hitachi's defence aren't the trains made by a firm that Hitachi has only relatively recently aquired? AnsaldoBreda S.p.A.. ?? Hitachi still has to take the blame though I guess if my suggestion is correct.
@MervynPartin3 ай бұрын
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.
@glynnwright16993 ай бұрын
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.
@MervynPartin3 ай бұрын
@@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.
@glynnwright16993 ай бұрын
@@MervynPartin It isn't rocket science, just make it work.
@michaelcurley75812 ай бұрын
As soon as people start pushing political propaganda, their comments become rambling nonsense.
@malcolmelias34963 ай бұрын
Should have stuck with the HS125 over 40 years old and still good.
@Bungle20103 ай бұрын
They were not "good" at all. It beggars belief that people want half a century old trains kept in service.
@adammoss52842 ай бұрын
Australians think highly of their XPT’s and the Mexicans are enjoying ours now.
@painting48502 ай бұрын
@@adammoss5284mexican railways should never be used as a example of sanity
@adammoss52842 ай бұрын
@@painting4850 the same can be said for these new trainsets.
@carfleet67032 ай бұрын
@@Bungle2010 well, not a worn out tired and dilapidated HS125, no. I'd agree. But swap the motive power for a decent electric unit and a MK3 or MK4 set of a well maintained, refurbished 'as-new' set, absolutely. When in good condition they are more spacious, quiet, comfortable, with excellent ride quality. I was lucky enough to get a ride in the newly refurbished original M3 set that is doing the tour of preserved lines. In an as-new state like those they absolutely knock all the spots off these modern sets.
@christophermills1412Ай бұрын
Worst train seats ever. Excruciatingly uncomfortable, way too firm, too little padding, and even though they aren’t that old the padding is already deteriorating, you can feel the frame of the seat through the padding on many of them. Awful, and to think how comfortable the old Class 43s were.
@A-Trainspotter-From-Berkshire3 ай бұрын
The track is in a really poor condition. There is a plan to electrify between Patchway and Exeter St Davids. The class 802s have reached 148mph in service.
@RichardMitchell-ut1ucАй бұрын
I don't see why on the London Paddington services, they can't operate at 140 . They need to be refurbished with better seats. I don't see why when they electrified to South Wales, they had the 91s and Mk4 sets off LNER-mire comfortable in my opinion and can operate at the same speed
@A-Trainspotter-From-BerkshireАй бұрын
@@RichardMitchell-ut1uc There is a few reasons why there is no 140mph, firstly you require in cab signalling above 125mph in passenger service, secondly the AT300s have not got the in cab signalling of ETCS which is installed on the GWML in a overlay mode for Heathrow Express to replace ATP as the 387s don't have ATP but have ETCS, thirdly after the TPE 148mph incident the AT300s have been fitted with a speed limiter. There is a few reasons as to why the Class 91 Electra's + Mk4 sets where not used by GWR, firstly the 91s were life expired because they only had a design life of 30 years, secondly a lot of the 91s were only withdrawn in 2020 and GWR had replaced all of its High Speed fleet by August 2019. Thirdly GWR had limited resources to get new stock and if they had got the Mk4s it would have been to replace the Castles instead. If GWR would have got them to replace the AT300 in the cracking issues in May 2021, they would have required a lengthy training programme which would have taken over a yeah and at the driver training was banned for safety grounds. It is true the mk4s are more comfy this because they were designed to ride like a HST 125 but at 140mph instead. The seats will be replaced we they come up for overhauls. The seats on the AT300s currently were the ones the DfT specked in the IPE tender which would have gone to bombardier if it wasn't modified.
@davidhughes44893 ай бұрын
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.
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
Thanks David
@henrybn14ar3 ай бұрын
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.
@richardwarren48303 ай бұрын
Cheap though. We have to remember profit for investors is the priority in modern Britain.
@daffyduk773 ай бұрын
@@richardwarren4830 they get a guaranteed return "profit" even when there's no profit being made. Risk free, hardly the spirit of entrepreneurship
@rmorgan73 ай бұрын
I've travelled on them several times, from the south-west to Reading or Paddington for London airports and agree with all said here - they are a big step backwards from the HSTs. Also, the space to store large suitcases is hopelessly inadequate, especially on journeys toward London at busy times.
@euglev35483 ай бұрын
You made sacrifice for us so we don’t have to .
@zoid882 ай бұрын
I've only travelled in these in first class on LNER. The old 225 seats were far more comfortable but these are fine. The big issue is the LED lights inside are so stupidly bright and in a bright white colour. If you get an evening training from Kings Cross, its like being on the sun inside. The old trains had far softer lighting which meant you could still see perfectly fine but also rest if you needed to, these feel like being in a shitty office.
@TomRaine18 сағат бұрын
That wifi speed is basically a metaphor or signal of the level of productivity and efficiency in the UK
@wgallafentАй бұрын
I happened to be on an Avanti pendolino the other day (22-year old trains), and I used the same app to test the noise levels when cruising at 120mph+ … results: pendolino coasting 67dB (a bit quieter than an HST); pendolino under power 71dB, … and the figure for a GWR IET last week? 79dB / 81dB. Far far noisier than either the 22-year-old west coast 125mph stock, and far far noisier than the almost-50-year-old HSTs. And that's before we get to the ride quality, ambience (lighting … e.g. no reading lights!), and indeed the seats. Ho hum. Pendolino noticeably nicer in all those aspects … and they tilt. The IETs do have some advantages (better acceleration, more legroom and luggage space, bigger windows) but those are more than outweighed for me by the disadvantages. And yes, they can run on diesel, which is pragmatic, but itself an indictment of the failure to electrify most of the lines they run on in a timely manner.
@SomeOne-p6f2 ай бұрын
Since the end of the end of the 80s when we started having trains that were little more than flimsy coaches, train travel has been awful in the UK. I remember in the 60s/70s/ 80s when we had the big diesel trains, class 37 with the old 'heavy' type of BR carriages, maybe not the cleanest, but those seats were comfortable and the train wasn't noisy and didn't vibrate. No matter what they'll have you believe, BR was pretty good until the arrival of these cheap and light foreign made trains.
@Alex-cw3rzАй бұрын
I agree broadly however the Class 158 is sublime (and was made in the UK although the Pacer was also made in the UK, so not a garentuee of quality.)
@tenny_tenten3 ай бұрын
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
@gottfriedheumesser19943 ай бұрын
For the first supersonic train in the world it seems to be quite comfortable. Five hours from Japan to England!
@jappedut90093 ай бұрын
He's Danish 😊
@ianwalters11Ай бұрын
Class 43 HST is comfier and fastest diesel in the world. If it was up to me I’d send all the 800’s back and bring all HST’s out of storage and refit them with Paxman Valenta engines like the old days. Screaming and smoking out of the stations a real spectacle. Best trains in the world a symbol of everything right with British engineering.
@richardlionheart3965Ай бұрын
yeah, let's all drive Model T Fords as well, that'll show em!
@sidney0013 ай бұрын
We don't call them shithatchi 800's for nothing
@adammoss52842 ай бұрын
Sad if they’ve let go of the quality that always came along with the brand.
@isamuldn2 ай бұрын
The problem is the Hitachi trains in Japan are great, but the U.K. rail companies seem to push for the cheapest component and seating. Exactly same train stock, completely different mentality towards providing quality rail services
@lolza-qh2xw4 сағат бұрын
First class in these is actually pretty comfortable, I did Cardiff to Penzance and back - my ticket actually being cheaper than a regular ticket weirdly, or I'd have just gone regular class. Even managed to sleep fairly soundly. I had no idea how bad standard class was and now I see it, it looks very uncomfortable and cheap. Disappointing to see that they cut costs on standard class so badly as that is how the majority of people - including myself - usually travel by when going anywhere by train just because of how expensive trains are to travel by.
@interceptor-ss8kb3 ай бұрын
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.
@interceptor-ss8kb3 ай бұрын
@@paulwilkinson8347 you're not wrong, I'm struggling to think of one area we are class leading....
@timmelia75513 ай бұрын
We are world leaders at moaning on the Internet.
@interceptor-ss8kb3 ай бұрын
@timmelia7551 not just Internet.
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
Yeah the UK definitely isn't a world leader anymore, but it's still far from the worst 😅
@maverick663118 күн бұрын
Too many parasites are leaching too much money out of the Railway at every point in the system. The IET is reflective of this in as much as there was barely enough left in the coffers after all the above had taken their cuts and commissions.
@Adinski833 ай бұрын
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
@henrybn14ar3 ай бұрын
The rotten seats are only a little bit of what is wrong with these trains.
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
Jeg bør prøve en af de nyere versioner af 800 familien
@geesehoward7003 ай бұрын
カーディフ?
@thecornedbeefcouncil97923 ай бұрын
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.
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
Might as well not work then 😅 Haha thanks for pointing it out!
@daffyduk773 ай бұрын
It's an eco-friendly approach 🙂
@rico4.7003 ай бұрын
Cardiff 😐😐😐 Cardiff, Japan 😯😯😯😯
@rico4.7003 ай бұрын
also uk rail transit is actually depressing, as Jay Foreman said "we got it first, now we're the worst"
@gegamertv12393 ай бұрын
Cardiff, japan... really
@JamesBrown-zu8iv3 ай бұрын
Classic 😅
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
Let's call it a nod to these trains being built by a Japanese company and not just a mistake on my part 😅
@Esperpritzie2 ай бұрын
I’ve been on the Azuma lner train and in my opinion it was pretty ok. Though that’s maybe because lner is a pretty good government owned railway company.
@oliverstemp9132Ай бұрын
VTEC specified those interiors. But yes, the red hot Azuma interior is much more pleasant.
@davidstevensasidewayslook883122 күн бұрын
Sadly the UK governments for the last 60/70 years have turned their backs on the railways. The deathnell was instituted by Earnest Marples (Minister for Transport) in 1962 when he introduced. the Transport Act 1962 with various swinging "reforms" chief of which was the Beechings railway dismemberment. Probably a good 50% of the lines closed and dug up would be back in use today IF they had just mothballed them. VERY shortsighted but actually a crafty wheeze put in place by Marples. It's strange that Earnest Marple owned a huge road construction company..... so the plan worked!! The UKs railways are in total disarray with the current system. They all need taking back into public ownership. Such a crucial bit of national infrastructure being put in the hands of equity companies is ludicrous...
@Andrewjg_893 ай бұрын
At least Greater Anglia have got the Stadler FLIRT Class 745 and Class 755 that were built and manufactured in Switzerland. And the seats on the Class 745 and Class 755 are very comfortable.
@john_smith14713 ай бұрын
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.
@jyw00003 ай бұрын
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 😂
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
Just a mistake on my end this time! 😅
@jyw00003 ай бұрын
@@Simon-Andersen dude you should try making this a recurring gag in your videos 😂 “Today I am at Amsterdam Centraal Station” *shows the logo for Amtrak in the corner* Anyways keep up the good work 😁
@2760adeАй бұрын
It's a shame the quality of these 800 class trains is so poor, as they look really good in my opinion, beautiful streamlined shape! I read somewhere that Hitachi never intended this class of train to be used as a long distance ICE, but as a short suburban journey train!!
@adamevans19893 ай бұрын
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.
@justhowulikeit64323 ай бұрын
Yes. They just need to sort out the wheel hunting, but that involves TOCs and NR working together so hahahaha good luck.
@henrybn14ar3 ай бұрын
They are a fundamentally flawed concept- see my comment earlier.
@henrybn14ar3 ай бұрын
@@justhowulikeit6432 The hunting is probably incurable. The vehicles are too long, the wheelbase is too short, the wheels are too small.
@straightpipediesel3 ай бұрын
@@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.
@glynnwright16993 ай бұрын
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.
@BenjaminDBrooks2 ай бұрын
I was extremely disappointed on my first time riding the new GWR trains up to London from Exeter. The only tangible benefit of these hideous seats is you aren't going to miss your stop because you fell asleep.
@markscenic8331Ай бұрын
They are such a backward step from the 40 year old HST.
@HadrianTAZ2 ай бұрын
It could be forgiven if tickets were cheap, but they are very very expensive in the UK, for a ride that is kind of annoying to be honest. Compared to The Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, UK is slipping farther and farther behind. I am guessing it has something to do with the United States and the ever closer ties between the two
@SWRural-fk2ub3 ай бұрын
Sadly a correct report, as I found out myself from Exeter to Bristol (I can still feel the pain of that iron bar that you feel on a worn seat). Luckily, pax like me who live between Honiton and Yeovil can choose to travel via Salisbury to Bristol which is a bit slower but the trains are more comfortable and as frequent plus your ticket is valid via either way,.
@artfuldodger48503 ай бұрын
Well said and it needs an overseas visitor to add to add to the complaints about these dreadful attempts at trains. But if you think these 802’s are awful next time you come to the UK go for a long ride on the all second class 803’s and book seat C94 if it still exists.Haven’t got a clue how they can even charge for that seat. Railways in the UK are like all utilities, Cash Cows for foreign owners.
@Bungle20103 ай бұрын
That's a lie.
@Danse_Macabre_1253 ай бұрын
Cardiff, Japan. J A P A N.
@gfall4389Ай бұрын
Your Danish accent is very nice to listen to, much nicer than most U.K. dialects!
@Simon-AndersenАй бұрын
Its not often i hear that! But thank you :D
@gfall4389Ай бұрын
@@Simon-Andersen I live in Essex, if you ever find yourself down there you’ll know what i mean! Keep up the good work with the vids!
@Leoliontrains3 ай бұрын
I didn't know that part of Wales is in Japan, wheres the bullet train?
@RWL20123 ай бұрын
The Hitachi AT300's use "bullet train technology", does that count? 😆😝
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
They are built by Hitachi that counts right 😅
@Leoliontrains3 ай бұрын
@@Simon-Andersen fair enough 😅
@RailFanAthenaАй бұрын
Honestly for me it was fine, I'm 6'2 and had perfect legroom, and the quality was fine other than the restroom floor having an air pocket
@simonjones7727Ай бұрын
I am a lot shorter so I did wonder how tall guys would manage.If I sit full back on some train seats my feet don't quite touch the floor so that is a very different experience, I guess!
@geoffwbaU3 ай бұрын
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 ?
@jabberwockytdi89013 ай бұрын
Doesn't matter if they listened or not DfT chose the manufacturer and spec and refused operator requests for proper catering car...
@jackpowell92762 ай бұрын
Are these the same ones used on the east coast mainline from London to Edinburgh? If so they're the worst for passenger comfort. The seats are too upright so you cant fall asleep as you constantly rock forwards, the seats aren't winged, the train rocks and shakes like crazy, it doesn't seem to tilt around highspeed corners so your table items are thrown out to the side. Constant delays. Im sure some of that is down to track, and internal passenger configuration but when taking the west coast mainline to glasgow i thought things were much smoother, more comfortable, better seats. That said i think the Lumo service on the east coast mainline at least has better seating configs, with seats having wings like airplanes do and a steeper recline so you can sleep on a long trip. Still, utterly embarrassing compared with our neighbours in France.
@Simon-Andersen2 ай бұрын
Yes they are! I've also heard the Lumo ones are better but the LNER ones are very similar to gwr
@arsenicCatnip4133 ай бұрын
📍Cardiff, Japan
@mazdaman2315Ай бұрын
I took a ride on one I was throwing up for 2 hours straight id rather ride Amtrak
@ce18343 ай бұрын
These trains are great imo, its just become fashionable to hate them among (other) train enthusiasts over love to their predecessors. Especially with the seats on newer trains, looks good and great acceleration, glad to see them around! 👏
@OscarstrainspottingАй бұрын
Cross country use Cardiff on their regional services
@MaidaValeTom3 ай бұрын
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.
@mrvwbug44233 ай бұрын
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.
@davideggbeer8762Ай бұрын
Ironing board seats.😡
@davideggbeer8762Ай бұрын
Most of are trains are foreign built CAF Spain. Cheap as f..k. Hitachi or shitachi. Or stadler Waldorf and stadler of the Muppet show.
@svartmetall483 ай бұрын
😂 Your commentary. You really don't like the UK much do you? It rains less and is more sunny than Denmark, but you still had to make a comment about how bad the weather is.
@daanwolters37513 ай бұрын
Nope, actually denmark has less rain (600mm in denmark and 880 in england (not the uk)) and denmark is sunnier as wel having about 1750 hours of sunshine, compared to englands 1500.
@svartmetall483 ай бұрын
@@daanwolters3751 Depends on where you are reading. Bristol, which is where he complained, has 1658 sunshine hours, whereas Copenhagen has 1629. Wetness depends as well as you have the dryness of Cambridgeshire and East Anglia, vs. Liverpool and Manchester. Overall it is not different enough that he has to make snide comments.
@daanwolters37513 ай бұрын
@@svartmetall48 sure sure, you can cherrypick a spot in the middle east with more rain than a certain spot in the uk. Thing is, the overall england, (not scotland or whales, which i left out) has 130% of the rain denmark has, so how exactly does england have less rain, as you claimed?
@svartmetall483 ай бұрын
@@daanwolters3751 Bristol is where he was. Copenhagen is where he is from. That is why I compared there.
@daanwolters37513 ай бұрын
@@svartmetall48 yet you said denmark in your first comment.
@RachLZeldaАй бұрын
Honestly I was amazed when you went into the toilet and there wasn't piss everywhere. Also, I don't often get long journeys but if I do I like to treat myself to first class if possible. Honestly, I was so disappointed at what a downgrade the seats were when we got the new trains.
@LWR13 ай бұрын
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.
@johnUB44783 ай бұрын
I'm with you on this. I myself like them also.
@Rick-vm8bl3 ай бұрын
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.
@johnUB44783 ай бұрын
@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
@MrDavil433 ай бұрын
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".
@johnUB44783 ай бұрын
@@MrDavil43 it could be worse. You could be travelling on a GWR Class 387. The seats are awful on them.
@starbase218Ай бұрын
Dutch guy in the UK here. The seats are by far the worst aspect on UK trains, at least compared to Dutch ones. They are very tall, blocking your view, kind of creating cubicles of isolation. And they are very thin, sacrificing comfort.
@RTWukАй бұрын
Yes, I went an old Intercity train on Chiltern recently, and people were commenting how spacious it seems - better window design possibly, but mainly shorter seats, which give the impression of much more space.
@johnharmar-smith22623 күн бұрын
Just spent a week in Holland and the trains are very good and smooth riding, with very reasonable fares - went from Ede to Schiphol airport for about £16!
@tomwatts7033 ай бұрын
There's a lot of exaggeration around the 80x's, I really don't think they're as awful as people claim. Fleet standardisation is a good thing too.
@the_vehicle_spotter3 ай бұрын
Those seats look the same as the Trams in my region
@MrJordanSDean3 ай бұрын
For a couple of hours you're right they're not awful, but as soon as you start hopping between the capitals, the seats are horrendous. The fleet is fine, could do with more luggage space though.
@Kletterhaus3 ай бұрын
People really need to stop hating this much. Yes the train isn't perfect and seats need to be changed out. But it's not so bad, especially if you look at the new Avanti version which is great.
@j3xk72r93 ай бұрын
On the journey you made, the train does not reach its full speed of 125mph. On the line to London, they do achieve this and the ride and refinement becomes much worse. The bogies bang and clonk all the time. As you observed, the seats are awful, as is the general interior ambience. Then there is the structural cracking after three years service. These trains are every bit as bad as their reputation and I hate having to use them.
@OnTheRailwayOfficial3 ай бұрын
@j3xk72r9 The ride is absolutely fine at 125mph, they are looking into 140mph operation with the rollout of ETCS on the GWML. And no, the cracking was not structural otherwise passengers would no way in hell be allowed back on them. You are exactly the reason why these trains get a bad name, just pure exaggeration!
@willhovell9019Ай бұрын
Try the appalling Siemens trains. It's called a Platform in Britain
@Simon-AndersenАй бұрын
Which ones? Siemens has some quite good high speed trains in Europe like the Velaros on Eurostar.
@apt1553 ай бұрын
In regards to why we keep ordering them the answer is there’s nothing else. With the exception of the CAF Civity there’s no other intercity train that can be bought of the shelf here in the UK at the moment. If we wanted to order intercity trains from a different company i.e Alstom or Siemens it would have to be completely re designed to fit our loading gauge. That intern puts up the cost, costs that most company’s and the DFT aren’t prepared to invest. But then again perhaps we should be grateful that CRRC hasn’t yet entered the UK. Given there performance with MBTA and SEPTA things could be a lot worse.
@johnUB44783 ай бұрын
Am I right, that GWR were wanting the Class 365s at one time, and were told by the DfT that they were to have to 387s, as they were added on the back of an order from another toc?
@henrybn14ar3 ай бұрын
The UK loading gauge is not a big issue. There a many narrow gauge railways with similar loading gauges. The IEP bodyshell is a standard Japanese design. The main reason for the high cost of new trains is that they are grotesquely over engineered.
@mrvwbug44233 ай бұрын
@@johnUB4478 To be fair the Electrostars are one of the better trains operating in the UK, at least for commuter services, though with the right seating I think a 387 could handle some inter-city runs much like the Class 350s operated by LNWR.
@mrvwbug44233 ай бұрын
The IET is ironically still probably better than the Civity. My first hand experience on a Civity was pretty bad, one of the dreaded TfW class 197s, that TfW considers inter-city trains. I've heard the class 397s used by TPE might be slightly less bad than the GWR and LNER IETs. The 197 is literally worse than a 30+ year old class 158.
@johnUB44783 ай бұрын
@mrvwbug4423 I found the seats on the 197s OK, but the ride very judery. I'm not sure why the 197s have a food preparation area on either
@TC.C2 ай бұрын
Oh yes, I travel on these trains every day unfortunately and I can confirmed their seats are the most uncomfortable of all trains! Some of the GWR staff are really rude as well. GWR doesn’t know how to train their staff in customer service.
@HAHE-mn4tuАй бұрын
Are they bad as the class 700 if yes then i feel the really bad for you neverless
@AM-sc1oz3 ай бұрын
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.
@AL55203 ай бұрын
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.
@AM-sc1oz3 ай бұрын
@@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...
@AL55203 ай бұрын
@@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.
@martinbitter41623 ай бұрын
@@AL5520try Aberdeen.
@AL55203 ай бұрын
@@martinbitter4162 I still remember the Scottish hotel opening lines in Little Britain 😂
@Michal_Niskiewicz3 ай бұрын
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.
@ivobel7213 ай бұрын
Why is everything only in miles and mph? You should at least have km and kph on screen.
@polythenewrappedme61023 ай бұрын
In Britain we use miles and mph.
@ivobel7213 ай бұрын
@polythenewrappedme6102 Yes, but Simon isn't British, and up till now, he has only used kilometres and kph. He should have both measurement systems on screen.
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
I normally use the measurements of the country the video is filmed in. So for the UK and my US videos miles have been used. But yeah I like the idea of both when it's not the metric system
@liam-w-fАй бұрын
The trains themselves are good, but the seats and lighting are horrible.
@Kivetonandrew3 ай бұрын
It's RAILWAY STATION!! A station on a railway. Not the moronic sounding train station.
@Simon-Andersen3 ай бұрын
This is the kind of pedanty nobody cares about
@hawkertyphoon45373 ай бұрын
Just the outward appearance with paint flaking off the (Aluminium?) Shells is bloody disgusting.
@iuciubbb3 ай бұрын
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.
@floris32393 ай бұрын
Well, about the wifi speed mentioned at 5:28 Please note going anywhere west of Reading the mobile data speeds are generally just terible, so you can't expect to get any good wifi on these trains. The United Kingdom is basically a third world nation except for London. 😄
@hogyndrwg62533 ай бұрын
You might want to include London, actually.
@dannyjonze2 күн бұрын
train travel in the uk has become a diaster. when you think how it originated. that shaking and vibrating is better than it's ever been. you talk about quality of the wifi but i have never even tried to use that, i didnt know it was there. being from europe you are in a different decade. You knock those trains but they are the modern ones, try the old diesels.We will never catch up, we cant. It's too crowded, not enough money, it's impossible, too late. We needed to invest in the 1960s and 70s. We couldnt, the country was on it's knees and we are heading back there. I do london to cornwall and it is uncomfortable and overpriced.
@johnharmar-smith22623 күн бұрын
Terrible trains and they compare very badly to the old HSTs, which were really comfortable and very smooth running.... you're right about price as well - I've just spent a week in Holland on their very smooth and comfortable trains in comparison and a journey of 1.5 hours from Ede to Schiphol Airport cost me about £16 one way!
@aldomir2 күн бұрын
I went to Cardiff once. It's only about ana 4 hour drive from where I live. I never would have thought I actually visited Japan!
@ktipuss2 ай бұрын
9:05 "Thanks to the U.K.'s needlessly complex ticketing system" That's putting it mildly! I can go from Sydney to Newcastle (New South Wales) in a bit more than that time covering 165km, paying $A10.33 or $A7.32 off-peak and half that if you are a student (divide roughly in half to get GBP). And no such thing as advance booking; you can simply show up 5 minutes before departure and get on (although might not get a window seat if you board that close to departure time). Unfortunately Transport4NSW will soon introduce "new" trains on that run which have seats suspiciously like those on your train. And non-reversible too, which has generated a lot of criticism from locals who have had reversible seats on our trains since 1878 and are well liked.
@rayyan6515Ай бұрын
It annoys me that this train was really bad. I’m a Hitachi fan myself and I love their Japanese products like the Sotetsu 20000 and also the E5, E6 and E7 Shinkansens. They’re very reliable and amazing trains in Japan and surely they also have similar great trains overseas. Even the 395 is a great train. I wonder if it is because the train is made in the UK or Italy but well, I can’t judge can I? All I can say is that I hope they improve their quality in the future hopefully.
@jonpsp3 күн бұрын
They're completely unusable if you have a bike, unless it's either super light or tiny, unlike the old InterCity 125 or 225
@blohotАй бұрын
Its impressive that GWR run trains from Japan to Exeter.
@cldyapple6 күн бұрын
Apart from the vibration, everything you moaned about is GWR's problem. Nothing to do with the train itself. GWR specified the cheap interior, the cheap seat with no headrest that broke - everything you mentioned is customer specified.
@Locknut617 күн бұрын
These trains were specified by the government. They went for maximum seating capacity, using the thinnest, cheapest Fisa seats. The comfort could be so much better if higher specification seats were fitted. The ride is a different matter. UK track and particularly the small loading gauge needs different suspension to typical continental trains. BR Research did a lot of work on this in the 1960s and 1970s. Those lessons have been ignored and standard continental type bogies and suspension used. The result is a rough ride at speed and structural problems with the suspension mountings. This is also an issue on the CAF trains.
@B-A-L3 ай бұрын
Don't blame Japan for high quality trains built on a low quality British budget!
@flyingfeline71102 күн бұрын
The seating is torture on the Transpennine Express Manchester - Edinburgh route.
@TonyTheYouTuba2 ай бұрын
Ask me about paying £85 for a 5 hour Redruth to Paddington jaunt on these things a few times a year. If the public transport connections to Newquay airport werent so pitiful I’d just take a fifteen quid flight from stansted. Apart from the seats, they are… adequate.
@HughTerry6929 күн бұрын
As if they're trying to drive people OFF the railway by making travelling as difficult, uncomfortable & expensive as possible!
@3040-f9g2 ай бұрын
I've heard it said that a country's railway offering can reflect the nation as a whole. It this case, it seems true; cheap, tacky, uncomfortable and stupidly expensive.
@Demun16492 ай бұрын
The Class 800/801/802 are built by Hitachi. Under Japanese law, no manufacturer can supply modern, up-to-date technology to foreign countries. When the contract was signed, the Class 800/1/2 were ten years behind on the technology. By the time they were delivered, they were 17 years behind. The Japanese did their usual cheat on a contract deal. Signed to build the trains in Britain, 10,000 jobs. Built a factory, in Japan, employing 9K people, and an assembly plant in Britain employing 734 people. They built the trains in Japan, then broke them down into kits, shipped the kits, and then they were assembled in Britain. The work quality, from Japan, was made worse by supplying inferior parts to complete the fitting out. I, sadly, travelled on the 5th Class 800 to run. It was badly assembled, panels fell from the ceilings, panels rattled the whole time, the brakes squealed VERY LOUDLY, and the seats were worse than the benches on the most out-dated stadium in the world. When I travel now, if the trains are the Hitachi rubbish, I hire a car. Fool me once, bad on you. Fool me twice, bad on me!