‘Like cardboard’: Thameslink is making the commute more comfortable for millions

Thameslink is switching up the morning commute for millions of workers (Picture: Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) There are millions of commuters who travel into London for work from the Home Counties and many of them use Thameslink services. Hopping aboard and praying for a seat, bleary-eyed office workers hope to settle down with a cup of coffee and enjoy a comfortable journey. Instead, they’re met with a seat that resembles an ‘ironing board,’ with a hard back and bottom that only serves to make mornings worse. Now, Thameslink has plans to introduce a brand-new train seat, upgrading more than 60,000 seats on one of the largest fleets in the UK. At the moment, the company serves the south of England, connecting the capital with the likes of Bedford, Hitchin, Cambridge, and Brighton. It’s all part of the government’s drive to improve the experience, tied in with the introduction of the state-owned Great British Railways. The new seats will feature memory foam and winged backrests, making for a springier, more flexible chair. All in all, more than £3.6 million is being invested in the passenger experience. These seats have been likened to ‘cardboard’ (Picture: Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images) The rest of the funds will be used to give the outside of the trains a fresh lick of paint, as well as wall vinyls designed to repel graffiti. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. The new and improved seat has been on display at London Bridge station this week. It was developed following extensive consultations with the passengers who’ll be using them, with the new chair offering 57% more ‘give.’ Latest London news There won’t be special treatment for those who can afford it, either: those sitting in first class will have access to the same cushions. ‘Calling them seats is stretching the definition’ Commuters have long been complaining about the comfort levels of the humble Thameslink train. The interior might seem fairly swish, with fancy screens that show which parts of the carriage are the busiest, but that means very little when you’re sitting on what feels like a glorified plank of wood. Over on the r/britishproblems Subreddit, @BloodAndSand44 accused the company of prioritising volume over functionality. The new design is meant to be more flexible (Picture: Andrew Gardner/Thameslink) They wrote: ‘Making the seats so they are little more than a fibreglass shell covered in the thinnest foam does mean you can fit more of them in a carriage. But calling them seats is stretching the definition of a seat.’ Forever dreading a long trip on board the Thameslink, @Nanmercy has always felt there are only ever two options: feel ‘uncomfortable standing up swaying all the way, or uncomfortable sitting down on their stone hard chairs’. Meanwhile, @RhysCook98 joked he’s always found ‘the luggage racks most comfortable,’ while @SvsTheW0rld likened the seats to ‘cardboard’. ‘The worst seats on any train. I’m sure they have made them so thin with no padding so that they can fit more on,’ @BloodAndSand44 wrote. ‘So there are more seats on the train.’ Now, the consensus is an upgrade has been long overdue. Writing on the r/uktrains Subreddit, @Asleep_Mouse_5131 said the seats ‘definitely’ looked like they ‘have more padding,’ while @StatisticianThick938 joked it was like seeing a ‘new iPhone model.’ ‘I may actually consider a day trip from Cambridge to Brighton again,’ @obdevel said, while @Complete_Spot3771 reckoned the new padding is worth it, but ‘not ideal for shorter folk such as myself.’ Nevertheless, @Nicktrains22 reckoned it’s ‘still an ironing board,’ but just hoped the ‘legroom is better.’ Thameslink currently runs the busiest commuter service in the UK, being the 08:09 train from Bedford to Three Bridges, which passes through the likes of St Pancras and London Bridge along the way. Our Top Shopping Picks Topman’s new-season collection has arrived and prices start at just £10 An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale The viral LED face mask with over 350 lights that's currently discounted by £100 According to research released earlier this year by the Department for Transport, the 08.25am service along the same route is the fifth busiest, while the 08.28am Thameslink train from Epsom to London Bridge came in seventh place, which generally operates at 150% load capacity. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: Security guard imported hundreds of illegal zombie knives and sold them to kids Arrow MORE: Upskirting website vanishes suddenly after Metro investigation Arrow MORE: Shoppers ‘ran for their lives’ after machete rampage outside KFC in Bromley The Getaway Expert Your exclusive seven-day guide to travelling with confidence from Metro's resident travel expert, Alice Murphy.