The franchise requirement for these 10 car trains is to have 546 seats and 673 standing (total capacity 1219 including toilets and one class only) compared to 1182 for the Class 707s. The solo seats on the 707s are very popular as you have more room although in all cases legroom is much tighter than in a Desiro. It is therefore important that these new trains are not seen as providing even less comfortable seating than the new ones they will replace. When will SWR share their thoughts on the proposed interior layouts, display mock ups and consult us on the options ?
Still waiting for a response from SWR
Hi, Thanks for posting - the 701 trains will have 2+2 seating, more information will be released closer to the December 2020 launch date. I don't believe we will be launching a wider consultation on these trains as the order was placed before SWR took over the franchise to enable them to be ready for 2020. if you have a question aimed at the SWR team it's best to use the Ask a Question group.
So these are the new trains? Like the seats facing forwards/bkwards so I can look out of the window but can't deal with the really really hard seats for my 30-40 minute commute. It hurts and I feel the effects up to 2-3 days later. What can be done please?
Will the 701s feature folding tables behind the seats ?