Thameslink will replace 60,000 seat cushions after passenger testing.

The UK Department for Transport said Govia Thameslink Railway and Siemens Mobility will upgrade standard-class seating across all 115 Thameslink trains. More than 60,000 spring-and-memory-foam cushions and winged backrests are due to replace the current design, while 69 trains will also gain seat-back tables.

The design was selected after passenger feedback and is claimed to offer up to 57% more give than the existing cushion. Installation is scheduled to begin in 2027 and run for two years under an existing 11-year fleet-overhaul contract, so the government says the seating change adds no separate taxpayer cost.