bramling
Veteran Member
It's bamboozles me that a nearly 27 year old train running on a similar design as the much despised Networkers can achieve such nostalgic rose tinted glasses love?
I'm sure the 700s have massively increased capacity, reliability (of rolling stock), added air con and shortened journey times compared to the 365s and old users still want them back. I mean they were alright back in the day but their day was 20+ years ago
Reality is a 700 offers little over a 365, but with a number of significant disadvantages.
Apart from air conditioning, what does a 700 offer? By 2016 365s were fairly solid 8-cars minimum on the GN outer suburban services (the stopping services were the exception), so capacity gain is less of an issue, and certainly isn’t post Covid at the moment, and won’t be again if some people on here are right.
By contrast poorer legroom, less comfortable seats, lack of tables and the ambience of a Travelodge bathroom are significant negatives. The 700s also lack some of the features found on other newer trains, such as plug sockets.
Something like a 387 would be more likely to help attract people back, even more so something more comfortable like a Southeastern interior Electrostar with the comfortable Compin seats.
A 700 is fine if you’re a St Albans to London commuter who is happy to simply be able to board the train, for a journey which is barely 20 minutes. If you travel from Huntingdon or Royston they don’t offer an attractive travel experience, especially in Standard.