Farewell to the original Thameslink trains

[A380]

My daily commute has got significantly better now that I have found out that the very last carriage of every Thameslink train is declassified from first class. Slightly better seats, bigger pitch and tables. In the rush hour you have to get there early / get on by City Thameslink but it’s still nice.

Don’t tell everyone....

 

[teuchter]

My daily commute has got significantly better now that I have found out that the very last carriage of every Thameslink train is declassified from first class. Slightly better seats, bigger pitch and tables. In the rush hour you have to get there early / get on by City Thameslink but it’s still nice.

Don’t tell everyone....

Does that include the Brighton ones?

(First class has always been declassified around the Wimbledon/Sutton loop)

 

[A380]

Does that include the Brighton ones?

(First class has always been declassified around the Wimbledon/Sutton loop)

Yep. Rear carriage of every Thameslink service.

 

[Dogsauce]

My daily commute has got significantly better now that I have found out that the very last carriage of every Thameslink train is declassified from first class. Slightly better seats, bigger pitch and tables. In the rush hour you have to get there early / get on by City Thameslink but it’s still nice.

Don’t tell everyone....

‘Last’ meaning the northernmost end, presumably? I’d assume it depends on direction of travel.

 

[Gromit]

My daily commute has got significantly better now that I have found out that the very last carriage of every Thameslink train is declassified from first class. Slightly better seats, bigger pitch and tables. In the rush hour you have to get there early / get on by City Thameslink but it’s still nice.

Don’t tell everyone....

Mine hasn't as I don't want to have to walk the entire length of the platform to exit my station. So even though I knew it's more of a windup.

 

[A380]

‘Last’ meaning the northernmost end, presumably? I’d assume it depends on direction of travel.

Always the back of the train. So North end on the South bound and South end on the North bound.

 

[Dogsauce]

Always the back of the train. So North end on the South bound and South end on the North bound.

How does that work, they don’t turn the trains anywhere?

 

[Crispy]

How does that work, they don’t turn the trains anywhere?

There's actual 1st class carriages at front and back. It's just the designation that swaps ends.

 

[A380]

There's actual 1st class carriages at front and back. It's just the designation that swaps ends.

This. They fitted out both the front and rear coaches as first; but the actual first never seems full which is why I imagine they do the declassification thing. I imagine it’s slightly easier saying the back carriage than always declassifying the North or South ends. Even if it does mean having prole bottoms like mine on the nice seats.

 

[Dogsauce]

There's actual 1st class carriages at front and back. It's just the designation that swaps ends.

Ah, cheers for the explanation, I thought it meant permanently declassified carriages hence my confusion.

Traditionally first class carriages have been at the ‘town’ end for terminus stations (so the first class passengers have less distance to walk). I’d have thought they’d have kept first at the south end for Brighton services to retain this tradition! Are there any other terminus stations served by Thameslink? I think some terminate at London Bridge at the moment but would expect that just to be a temporary thing during the upgrades.

 

[Crispy]

Exactly. North end of the train is declassified for southbound trains.

PS: some trains do turn around on the Sutton loop.

 

[A380]

Ah, cheers for the explanation, I thought it meant permanently declassified carriages hence my confusion.

Traditionally first class carriages have been at the ‘town’ end for terminus stations (so the first class passengers have less distance to walk). I’d have thought they’d have kept first at the south end for Brighton services to retain this tradition! Are there any other terminus stations served by Thameslink? I think some terminate at London Bridge at the moment but would expect that just to be a temporary thing during the upgrades.

KX St Pancras Thames Link escalators are in the Middle. Farringdon is similar with stairs and City Thameslink is a matter of choice as to where you want to go next.

I seem to remember that Blackfriars is the only station that once was classified as a London Terminus Station but is still open but no longer classified as one of the termini. That might be bollocks though.

 

[teuchter]

KX St Pancras Thames Link escalators are in the Middle. Farringdon is similar with stairs and City Thameslink is a matter of choice as to where you want to go next.

I seem to remember that Blackfriars is the only station that once was classified as a London Terminus Station but is still open but no longer classified as one of the termini. That might be bollocks though.

I don't think Blackfriars was ever a terminus station, although it's always had some terminus platforms along with the through ones.

It is however one of the stations classified as a "London Terminal" for ticketing purposes despite being a through station. But so is City Thameslink for example, so it's not alone in this.