Customers of East Midland Railway (EMR) have the chance to try out the seats that will be used on its new Aurora Intercity fleet of trains.
The seats are available to try at special displays at Nottingham, Derby, and Sheffield stations, and interested customers need just turn up at the stations, as no booking is required. Standard seats will be available to try on the footbridge at Derby and in the booking hall at Nottingham, while at Sheffield First Class seats will be available to try in the station's main concourse.
As well as trying out the seats, customers can learn how East Midlands Railway has tried to ensure the new trains' interiors have everything to be expected from a modern railway service, including more connectivity, luggage space, and passenger information.
In designing the new seats, East Midlands Railway has worked closely with Derby-based design firm DGDESIGN to develop the proven product of a FISA Lean seat and refined it to provide better comfort and support. The appearance of the seats have also been improved in line with what the company believes customers expect from seats on an Intercity service.
Changes made during the seat redesign included larger cushions, headrests, and armrests, and using high quality durable materials such as a wool-rich moquette and leather throughout.
Other improvements include ensuring that all seats have the practical and technological features that customers require, such as power and USB points, generous legroom, coat hooks, well-sized seat-back tables for all airline seats, and sufficient space under each seat to stow a cabin bag. The trains also include air conditioning, free WiFi throughout, plug sockets, and better passenger information screens.
Lisa Angus, Transition and Projects Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We are excited to showcase the new Aurora seats to customers and to allow them to experience first-hand how comfortable they are.
“It has taken a lot of work, but we are delighted with the seats, not only are they comfortable to sit in and look refined, but they are also easy to keep clean and include all the features passengers should expect from a new generation of trains.
“If you are passing through the station or in the area, feel free to pop in and see for yourself.”
I actually do think that passengers would see some kind of comfort in these new seats for the Class 810 Aurora rolling stocks.