Heidi Alexander Announces 60,000 Seat Upgrades for Thameslink Trains

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced that more than 60,000 seats across 115 Thameslink trains will be upgraded with new cushions and backrests. The project, scheduled to begin in 2027 and last two years, replaces the thin, hard seating passengers have dubbed "ironing boards." Standard class seats will receive both new cushions and backrests, while first class seats will receive upgraded base cushions only.

The initiative follows the transition of Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR) into public ownership in May 2026. Alexander characterized the upgrades as "what public ownership looks like in action." Beyond seating, the broader improvement plan includes installing seat-back tables on 70 trains, refurbishing toilets to remove graffiti, and increasing Gatwick Express services starting in December.

The Class 700 fleet, manufactured by Siemens under a £1.6bn contract between 2013 and 2019, has faced long-term criticism. The passenger group Railfuture warned the Department for Transport that comfort was "severely compromised" as early as 2014. While critics like Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden questioned the quality of nationalized services, the government maintained that private sector contracts could not be renegotiated until the move to public ownership.

GTR Chief Executive John Whitehurst stated that customer research with everyday commuters helped shape the new seating solutions to improve the experience for millions of passengers on routes serving central London, Brighton, Cambridge, and Sevenoaks.