Train interiors redesign exhibit Marylebone (HydeParkNow)

riestmanGoode has been in the news a lot for its iconic rail designs, including the unveiling of the first mock ups of the new tube trains for the Piccadilly Line at the Siemens factory in Goole. As observers will know, its designs are quite radical and those for the new Piccadilly Line are no exception. Its not just tube trains but also main line railways that are getting a futuristic look from PriestmanGoode. Its not just how trains look by the way, one aspect of the company’s work is to try and move the design of railway seating forward. The results of this work can currently be seen at Chiltern Railways’ Marylebone station in London.

As history has shown seating on trains has basically remained the same for many decades. and it hasn’t mattered whether its 2 + 2 seating, or lengthwise seating or whatever, basically seats have always been exactly lined up with each other – and that shows even on the new Piccadilly Line designs! TBH tube train design has always been somewhat restricted due to the trains considerably smaller profile compared to standard rail stock. The Central Line’s 1992 stock had non standard seating however that was somewhat an unusual departure in terms of how train seating was to be arranged – and its one that hasn’t been attained to any extent since.

Airlines are well ahead of the railways in evolving new seat designs, and PriestmanGoode have been involved in the design of a number of seating types for airlines – and so its perhaps time the railways caught up! Currently PriestmanGoode have an exhibition at Marylebone station featuring some of the latest train seating designs. The main interest in this exhibition shows there is a desire to break up the monotony of seat design, and currently this is envisaged to be attained by way of split levelling the seats.

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