Almost everyone who travels by rail in Sussex will welcome the replacement of old trains in the next two years.

The slam-door stock operating on most lines in Sussex is almost 40 years old and has come to the end of the line.

New rolling stock has sliding doors, air conditioning, proper toilets and computerised destination information given both inside and outside the carriages.

But there are concerns there may be problems with the new trains from the moment they appear.

The Rail Passenger Committee says some seats do not have sufficient leg room and there is not enough space for heavy luggage. Other groups have also complained there is hardly any space for bikes or wheelchairs in the new rolling stock.

It looks as if the new trains have been designed for short journeys where passengers are herded together, many of them standing. They will not be comfortable on longer trips, such as those from any of the coastal towns in Sussex to London - journeys which thousands make every day.

It is also madness to discourage disabled people from using trains and to turn away cyclists at a time when all transport experts are trying to encourage two-wheeled travel.

For all the fine talk, the feeling of commuters is the operators are out to make money first and look at the needs of passengers second. They may have got it wrong.

It's not too late to modify the design of the trains so they are more flexible and less cramped. Unless this is done, the pleasure for passengers in riding on these new trains will be tempered with disappointment that they are a missed opportunity.