You caught the stopper which can be nice and quiet. It can take half the time but be very busy. The Liverpool Street to Cambridge route takes longer than the fastest Kings Cross trains but can be quite pleasant.
On-board facilities outdated? Has there been some major development in toilet or washbasin technology in the six years since these trains entered service? At least the walls weren’t covered in graffiti, unlike those on many of the Thameslink units that I use.
I took a Thameslink train to Cambridge from London Bridge today since I wanted to see what was left of the old Kings Cross station as the train passed through. Got off at St Pancras and went to look at the closed station building. It was rather disappointing and dreary.
Looks very cold and basic on board. Nowhere near as nice as the Class 365s when they first came out with their comfortable seating and fully carpeted interiors.