To the relief of long-suffering commuters, Thameslink have confirmed it will be removing its ‘ironing board’ seats following the renationalisation of the railways.
As part of its rebranding as Great British Railways, Govia Thameslink says it will install extra cushioning on its trains serving Bedford, London and other areas.
Reported by the BBC, the transport secretary Heidi Alexander described the move as “public ownership of our railways in action.
“We’ll start getting rid of the dreaded ‘ironing board seats’ so passengers can enjoy comfier, more pleasant journeys on some of Britain’s busiest commuter routes,” she said.
The transport secretary confirmed that 60,000 seats on all 115 Thameslink trains would be upgraded with new cushions and backrests.
The work is set to begin in 2027 and will take two years to complete.
A welcome change
Passengers are welcoming the change.
Max Tookey, who travels by the train company regularly from Bedford to London for work, said: “ I travel to London from Bedford every week; an hour-long journey in the old seats is less than ideal.
“It’s a refreshing new layout, and it is nice to relax with some comfort after I have finished for the day and travel back home, without having to pay to upgrade to first class.
“Everyone should be able to have a comfy seat on their journey.
”I personally enjoy a window seat to gaze out of during my journey; I just wish the window seat armrests were adjustable for maximum comfort.”
Bedford outbound
The train company, Thameslink, is a part of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which is the UK’s largest train company.
Connecting Bedford to London and then on to Brighton, trains also serve Flitwick, Luton Airport Parkway and St Albans.
Laying down tracks in Bedford 38 years ago, somewhere between 75 to 83 Thameslink trains travel from Bedford station each day.
Renationalised railways
GTR, responsible for Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services, became a part of the Department for Transport (DfT) on 29 May 2026, as part of Labour’s manifesto promise to renationalise train operating companies when their contracts expired.
The BBC reports that ministers are confident that these “bold rail reforms” will enhance train reliability and punctuality and reduce running costs.
In addition to the new seats, the government also says Great British Railways trains will be cleaner and that it will upgrade WiFi on hundreds of trains.
