I Tried the Horrible "NEW" High-Speed Trains the UK Won't Stop Ordering

Cardiff, Japan 😂

JR Cardiff

Did you pay for your ticket in Japanese yens?

Having had the misfortune to undertake a few long journeys on these trains in 2nd class, I can confirm they are indeed hideous things. The seats are diabolical, barely any more comfortable than the Thameslink ironing boards (which are short distance commuter trains) while the ride quality is rough and levels of wind noise high. All in all, it makes for a tiring journey. Having travelled on a Siemens made AVE high speed train in Spain and an Austrian Railjet (also made by Siemens) they're like night and day compared to these torture chambers. With UK ticket prices we should have rolling stock of at least equal quality to these countries.

Damn I wish there was a Shinkansen from Penzance to Cardiff, Wal-oh sorry, I mean Japan.

Konichiwa a croeso i Gymru...

The worst thing about these seats is that as they wear out they reveal a metal bar across the base, which is as nice as it sounds. Nor is there space for a regular cafe bar onboard, though half of the first class is taken up by a kitchen that only gets used for 3 or so pullman services a day. Even Cardiff's new tram-trains will have a better version of this seat with more padding, which is actually quite nice since you're no longer sitting on solid metal. Its a shame overall as in first class and better specified units, they're a solid intercity train.

"Unnecessarily complex ticketing system" - damn right!

The newer trainsets to Lumo and Avanti are coming with a better second class seats

What annoys me about these trains is that the passenger comfort is worse than the 50 year old HSTs they replaced. It's as if someone went for the cheapest option..... and then halved the budget. Terrible.

The 800s have two problems. One is that they have replaced the class 253 HSTs, which have a better passenger ambience (and good seats) and the other is the seats. It seems that almost all new British rolling stock has uncomfortable seating. The cheap and cheerful approach may be acceptable for short distance commuting, but for longer journeys a degree of comfort is essential.

That Cardiff, Japan tho makes me wonder the IET was caused that 😂😂😂😂😂😂 The reason of those horrible seats, is the DfT lol, cost cutting moments... although you can try the Lumo's class 803 and Avanti's Class 805

Mostly agree here. The IETs are woefully underequipped for the job they are meant to do - the GWR ones at least. I've commuted on them for college in the West Country for the last two years and used them on the long distance journeys. The seats are fine for 10 minute journeys, but I find them uncomfortable for the 3 hour journeys I undertake on them to London, heaven help people travelling to Penzance from London. I've regularly seen Bike spaces been completely used up and bikes spilling out into the vestibules. WiFi, albeit not great is a vast improvement over other GWR trains, I can at least load up an Internet tab, unless you happen to be in a tunnel. Toilets are adequate, thats it. They're often covered in graffiti, and the paint is peeling off which is never a good look, and if you look closely you will find a wonky panel in many coaches, even after about 7 YEARS in service. Compared with the HSTs, these are horrendous. First class is just a rip off imo.

They're being ordered like crazy before the step free regulations hit. That train was chosen despite operators knowing they absolutely do not conform to incoming wheelchair regs, and that literally means no step and a 1m50 turning round at every doorway.

Those are literally S-Bahn seats (I'm actually not joking) on what's supposed to be equivalent to the ICE, while 1st class is basically a crappier version of ICE 2nd class (yes 2nd class) seats, all because the DfT insisted on being cheapskates for the initial batch that LNER and GWR have to put up with. Thankfully, later versions such as what Lumo have and what Avanti and EMR are getting have more acceptable seating, albeit still sub-standard compared the high-speed trains on the other side of the channel.

The water was working, it’s just ridiculously difficult to activate the sensor which is somewhere up in the left corner and much further back than you would think.

Terrible ride quality and an overall blandness - to think the Country which invented railways are now proud to assemble these non entities in kit form!

A very interesting video from the perspective of a Scandinavian visitor. I would certainly agree with many of your comments other than the location of Cardiff in Japan (there is not one there- I've looked!), but I would suspect that might have occurred with auto-correction of text, so I will forgive that. These trains are one of the consequences of the privatisation of British Rail, where control was removed from an organisation that knew how to run a railway. They were specified by the Government's Department for Transport, who have determined that passenger comfort is unimportant if they can pack in more seats. Hitachi are a good manufacturer, but they can only provide what the incompetent customer specifies. It seems that the toilet wash basins are frequently faulty in Britain- Due to simple equipment like taps (faucets) being replaced by high-tech sensors at greater cost. I remember when everything used to work and seats were comfortable. Rail fares in Britain are extortionate, but again, this is due to the Government, whose dogmatic policies have wrecked the finances of most British industries.

I've travelled on them several times, from the south-west to Reading or Paddington for London airports and agree with all said here - they are a big step backwards from the HSTs. Also, the space to store large suitcases is hopelessly inadequate, especially on journeys toward London at busy times.

The IET is a pretty good train platform, only the introductory TOCs had absolutely shite seat selection forced on them by the Treasury. The 803, 805, 807, and 810 (EMR even let passenger test them in certain stations while in development) all have better seats. Pretty sure when the 800s, 801s, and 802s are due for a refurb they'll be pretty great.