It is true that seats on modern trains do in general feel harder than the ones in the old carriages. The form of the seat and the hardness of the foam dictate comfort, and these combined factors were considered by the ergonomists who designed the seats. They must meet stringent fire-resistance requirements as well as be as long-lasting and vandal-resistant as possible, which has restricted the choice of foam densities available to us.
The seat dimensions were chosen to give the best possible compromise between numbers of seats, breadth and aisle width. There are Priority Seats in each carriage reserved for disabled passengers, which must, by law, be at least 740mm wide. However, we chose to adopt this standard for all seats.
The seat manufacturer has taken note of the criticisms made by our passengers, and has been working with foam manufacturers to produce softer foams. As seat cushions become due for renewal, they will be replaced with alternatives that have a softer front edge.
Phil Clarke, Head of Desiro