However, comfort was a key part of the selling point and David Lawrence, in his wonderful book British Rail Designed 1948-1997, explains how an ergonomist was hired to ensure the seats were comfortable. Nowadays, I suspect that if the ironing board seats on Thameslink Class 700s or on the Azumas are anything to go by, no ergonomist worthy of the name ever sat in those seats during their design phase.
Source: wiktionary