Are you sitting uncomfortably? If you're reading this on a train anywhere in Great Britain, you probably don't need to tell me the answer.
A lot of good stories involve a train. You would be hard pressed to find an Agatha Christie character that doesn't succumb to murder - or solve one - on one. When Virgin Trains released, what might be one of the greatest railway adverts of the 21st century, embedding Hollywood greats from Some Like It Hot, North by Northwest, and The Lady Vanishes, into their new carriages, ticket sales increased by 32%. The Orient Express this was not, but the introduction of the Pendolino in 2003 might mark the last time that a train was built for Britain where the enjoyment of the journey for the passenger was a consideration.
The Return of the Train Virgin Trains (2005) Credit: The Hall of Advertising/YouTube
The Pendolino was no panacea; anyone who has found themselves locked in one of the loos - or experienced the humiliation of the door sliding slowly open, presenting a carriage load of people with the spectacle of a person sat on one - may feel differently. But, Virgin Trains' inclusion of the lines "Comfy?", "Yes, thanks." matched the real experience; warm lighting, comfy seat, and design features that served no utility other than to make the interior feel inviting. If any of the current train operators of the UK's 'modern' fleet of Intercity Express Trains, introduced in 2017, were to ask anyone travelling if they are "comfy?", they wouldn't want to hear the answer.