Opinion: Trains may change – but the service stays the same

It’s not often you hear excitement in a train announcer’s voice, particularly in relation to East Croydon, but there it was. Real excitement. Pride, too.

This was the inaugural journey of Thameslink’s new trains – the Class 700, if that technical stuff turns you on – which are being rolled out in Sussex over the next few months.

These new trains, built by Siemens, certainly look the business. Twelve carriages, all white, with the sleek looks of a Japanese bullet train.

Anyway a few first impressions. Firstly, the “bing bongs”. Ironically in a week in which Britain will vote on whether to stay in the EU, they sound very continental. Like you were off on holiday to Nice rather than commuting to London on a wet and windy Monday morning.

The aisles are wider and the carriages are nice and airy. But there’s not much legroom in the seats and although I didn’t check all 12 carriages, there didn’t seem to be any tables in standard class. More annoyingly, there are no folding trays on the backs of seats. So where do you put your coffee and croissant? The French wouldn’t stand for this.

Actually, they might have to, because the new trains have fewer seats and more standing areas. Brilliant. Just what Sussex commuters have dreamed of – more room to stand.

Still, Thameslink – regularly voted one of Britain’s worst operators, let’s not forget – claims this is not a problem because the trains are longer.

Thameslink’s top bods came along for the ride but stayed up in the front carriage, in First Class. They were all smiles and seemed to be congratulating themselves on a job well done.

Interestingly, though, no one came out to ask us how we were enjoying this new dawn of Sussex rail travel.

The reason soon became clear. The train due to arrive at London Bridge at 11.02 had finally arrived at 11.21 – 19 minutes late.

As the French say, plus ca change – the more things change, the more they stay the same.