The Lost Art of Passenger Comfort & Good Design – Railway Interiors Part 1

Modern trains are expected to handle crush loads at times, rough use and vandalism, yet have pleasing interiors and comfortable seating that will last in good condition for 15-20 years or more. In addition, the trains need to be safe in case of collision or derailment, retard fire without harmful smoke. And the latest threat is e-scooter and e-bike lithium batteries catching fire.

With capacity, cost, signalling, and energy optimisation being standard design requirements for most train manufacturers, but often this is at the expense of passenger comfort.

Long Branch Mike and Heliomass travelled to the Railway Interior Innovation Summit North America in Montréal in April 2024. This conference was focused on North American trains and urban rail vehicles. Nevertheless, we shall contrast the findings and presentations of this conference with the current state of interiors of comparable UK trains.

Improving the Passenger Experience

Often value engineered out of designs are the many ways that the passenger experience can be improved, such as comfortable seats, electrical sockets at every seat, good lighting, and fast, broadband Wi-Fi. Design details are crucial in passenger spaces.

Interiors – The Next Frontier of Train Improvements

With cars having increasingly high tech interior amenities, comfort, and finishes, railways need to up their game. Especially when the average vehicle lasts 7-10 years, whilst train interiors are redone every 20+ years (if the transport authority has the funds).

Unfortunately, many train operators focus solely on the hard numbers: capacity and cost. Comfortable seats are often not specified, pleasing interiors are value engineered to the cheapest materials they can get away with, and sometimes obsolete device charging jacks and Wi-Fi.

Some presenting companies spoke about a modular interiors approach – being able to change or remove some of the seating layout for seasonally or for special events. For instance, removing seats for bike storage, racks, or for skis in winter.

An increased understanding of the importance of the customer experience, are moving the rail trip experience forward.

Are You Sitting Comfortably? Then We’ll Begin

Seats are the most important item in the interior – comfort, functionality such as variable geometry, ie reclining, fold up padded seat-arms, built-in power and USB-C outlets, plus nice to have features. And seats need to look inviting and comfortable too. If the seat looks like an ironing board, it will not be appealing. Furthermore, less vibration transmitted through the seat makes the trip more comfortable.

North American Intercity Trains

North American intercity trains compete directly with the cars, sumptuously laid out SUVs, and quick, frequent flights. So the trains are generally provided with reclining seats, greater seat pitch, carpeted floors, blinds or curtains, reading lights, configurable footrests, and higher quality seat coverings.

The interior of much of UK intercity rolling stock is in comparison much more basic – even on routes with a strong tourism and leisure demographic.

Personal safety

Another personal safety issue rarely mentioned in seat design is making it impossible for pickpockets to steal items from the person in the seat in front. Similarly, high back seats make it more difficult to be restrained from behind. One of the design considerations of the original Routemaster was ensuring this would not be possible. Whilst modern buses are generally very good in this aspect, there are occasional lapses.

After the spate of accidents over 20 years ago where composite or plastic framed seats didn’t survive well, UK seat frames are specified to be of rigid metallic construction. This means the few reclining seats effectively rotate in the overall structural shell.

Seats themselves are starting to go high tech. Safran’s Euphony in-headrest speaker system has just been installed aboard Japan Airlines’ latest Airbus A350-1000 in Business Class. The concept is that passengers don’t have to wear headphones, but can still experience digital media as if they were at home. The reviewer found the speakers do what they say on the tin.

Seating Layout

In the UK, the unfortunate definitions of capacity specified in franchise agreements were expressed as numbers of standing passengers in relation to seats. So, the more seats, the more passengers per coach. At a time when investment in extra train capacity was constrained (when isn’t it?), Greater Anglia and c2c are the only operators of post-2010 trains to specify 3+2 seating.

Thameslink Class 701, 720, and 730 Alstom Aventras have used space at car ends for extra seats to add capacity. In previous designs this space had been reserved for crash protection crumple zones and equipment cabinets were installed in the space. Careful assessment of the management of collisions on permanently coupled units showed that crumple zones were not necessary. Unfortunately, the seats partially block gangways at coach ends. Blocking the gangway is a small issue, with the lack of windows for these seats is the most common complaint.

All this at a time when passengers have become wider. Even where 2+2 seating is specified, Classes 730/1, 777 as examples, often the seats often lack spacers between each other and with the bodyside, meaning that the person on the aisle seat often overflows into the gangway. Thus the wider gangway afforded by such a seats layout this way is an illusion – it is a trade-off.

Matters are slightly different in Europe, where the more generous loading gauge makes life slightly easier, but even there 2+2 seating, not 3+2, has been appearing on most recent commuter stock. However, even 2000s-era New York City area commuter railroad cars still have 3+2 seating, as do Sydney, Australia’s commuter trains – but at least, these trains are wide enough to not squish the seats together.

These days, seats align with windows only as a matter of chance – some luckless folk spend entire journeys sitting beside a blank wall. Many have the window surrounds blanking off the view. Given the growing importance of the leisure market in restoring railway fortunes, this is really unacceptable. The problem is lack of awareness of the importance of the passenger experience, as well as some laziness in vehicle design and procurement. In Network SouthEast days, British Rail found the trick was to present the vehicle designers with a seating layout, then ask them to position the windows around that. This usually worked.

Safety Dance

The Montréal Summit didn’t address safety standards in detail. But it is important to note that the UK’s Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB)’s fear of people flying around, hitting seats, luggage racks, and other furnishings in the event of an accident has led to highback seats. Coupled with a fear of fire breaking out, and the mandatory use of resistant materials and seat fillings, has led to the creation of some loathsome seats, which can be a major turn off for train travel for some in the UK.

It is really as simple as cost. It’s perfectly possible to design comfortable seats that comply with all the relevant standards. Half the battle is getting the right shape, backrest angle, and more speculatively, a feeling of resilience (squashiness) when initially sitting down.

Travellers also like to have their luggage within sight. Recently, some trains have placed the luggage rack midway between the doors, to dissuade a luggage snatcher from stealing a bag just as the doors are about to close. This also means that a would-be thief risks walking past the owner of the luggage when leaving the train.

This is a Stand Up Train

Surprisingly, it’s a rail company, not a discount airline, that pioneered stand-up seats (perch seats in the UK) in long distance train service. Deutsche Bahn pioneered the stand-up seating experience; RegioJet starting operating CRRC Chinese EMUs in Czechia in February 2024 with high capacity seats:

Seat Backs still have a lot more Potential

Several speakers at this conference spoke about using more of the seat backs for useful purposes, and not just a blank plastic or fabric wall. Whilst fold down trays are widespread, a number of other small changes can make large improvements to the passenger experience:

• A phone/iPad ledge and holder to watch shows or movies from, or for Zoom / Facetime calls.
• A wireless device charger pocket – a flat wireless phone charger but with the device held in a vertical pocket. They are great as they don’t require a cord and connector, are connector agnostic, and don’t take any limited horizontal space.
• Device pocket needs to accommodate cell phones up to tablet sized.
• A drink holder, possibly pop out.
• Would be great to have a larger fold down table space, laptop size.

Some trains already have wireless charging on tables, which is an elegant solution, as long as it’s not at the centre of each person’s table space but at the side, out of the way.

Having power outlets and USB ports on the seat back, under the seat in front, on the wall for window seat and table passengers, or somewhere on an armrest, is preferable to having it under the passenger’s seat itself, which requires much more contortions.

In Flight Entertainment (IFE) is the airline term for seat back screens. Most trains do not offer IFEs – the scenery, speaking with a companion, the space to be able to work, read, or watch something on the passenger’s own device – means IFE entertainment is not as necessary on trains. IFEs are also expensive and add a maintenance burden. However, they are sometimes an option on longer distance trains at higher price points. As it stands currently, passengers will be left to their own devices for the foreseeable future.

There are of course many factors to consider when designing such accoutrements – not impeding emergency egress, being sufficiently slender as to not impede regular entry into or egress from seats, not sticking out too much for a danger of breaking off.

Personal Space is a Big Avantage of Trains over Planes

Unlike in the UK, many North American intercity trains have reclining seats in Economy Class. Few UK train standard or coach class seats recline, these are usually reserved for Business and First Class, except for de-classified first class coaches of Class 350 trains on London Northwestern, and on Caledonian Sleeper seats.

Many travellers loathe airline seats that recline right back into the personal space of the person sitting behind them. Most North American intercity trains have sufficient leg space to allow some reclination that does not impinge on the personal space of the person behind. But as train economics are becoming tighter, operators will reduce the seat pitch to fit in more revenue-earning seats, and the airline seat problem will come to the rails. The UK rail network appears to have reached this tighter seat pitch layout phase.

Many trains offer facing seating for easier, more comfortable conversation, and interaction. Having reversible seats used to be more common on trains, allowing crews to turn them to face the direction of travel at a terminus.

Passenger comfort can be enhanced with wider aisles, touchless interior doors, large adjustable position tray tables, and reclining seats.

The Air We Breathe – Onboard

Air filtration has become of high importance in the last four years. The need is to design in good ventilation, with effective virus and small particle filters. In addition, the dangers of diesel particulates are being increasingly discovered by scientists. As train carriages are not designed to be airtight, onboard air quality issues are from under-floor engines in DMUs – especially when diesel exhausts are too close to HVAC air intakes. This is unpleasant, and prolonged exposure can result in headaches and longer term respiratory issues.

Interior Illumination

Brightness and contrast are really important for people with limited visibility. Dimmable individual seat lighting would provide travellers with more control over the ambience of their space. An optional under-seat ambient lighting is useful for some passengers, to find dropped items, get something out of a bag on the floor, or to access an electrical socket and/or USB port, which are oftentimes black.

Lighting technology, even LEDs, can still rapidly change. And LEDs are not perfect – the light they emit degrades over time, so need to adjust replacement LEDs for colour and temperature decay so that they fit in. Furthermore, the long term maintainability of LEDs is an issue as the lights and the fixtures are often manufacturer specific. So a manufacturer dropping a product line, or going out of business, can impact operators requiring lighting consistency, yet needing to control costs.

Apparently, the new DLR trains can have their lights’ colour temperature changed, but it’s not yet explained when or why they would do this. Nonetheless, lighting is a quick and relatively cheap way to change the ambience and passenger experience.

Onboard Info at a Glance: On Time Status, Next Stop, Amenities

Much can be done to improve onboard information, as high-quality electronic ‘blinds’ and interior information screens are ‘are currently being installed and often have already been fitted to many urban heavy rail trains.

Providing a real time map of vehicle location, next stations and stops, connecting routes, disruptions and diversions, with audible option for visually impaired, would be most helpful for passengers. For scenic long distance trains, signage indicating upcoming sites and which side of the car would be appreciated.

Transit agencies have this data, they just don’t always make it available to passengers. Occasionally riders hear muffled, or overbearing, audio messages of delays, but these are brief, and are often not understood.

For regional, commuter, metro, or light rail trains, screens showing real time location, next station and countdown timer, trains status, pointing out major destinations, a digital network map showing any delays, would be much appreciated as well. Some display systems are sophisticated enough to show connections to other routes on their journey. Sadly in the UK, this doesn’t seem to extend to bus connections. Some also have a limitation in that they don’t take account of train direction. Audio announcements are often too loud, too soft, or garbled.

Different lighting levels at stations, time of day, final destination, emergencies, and automatic interior light adjustment when the train goes into a tunnel, with a slow increase (over 2-3 seconds) to avoid the eyes experiencing a sudden change in brightness are all examples of how the flexibility of LED lighting could benefit passengers

Crews aboard North American intercity trains typically turn the interior lights down in late evenings, and down more overnight, for a more restful cabin ambience. All UK trains, au contraire, use the same lighting level at all times, with the possible exception of the overnight seat carriages in the Caledonian Sleeper.

Accessibility

We also recently covered rail platform train interface accessibility, but accessibility also obviously extends inside the trains. Latest figures reveal that 24% of the UK’s population has a disability of some kind. With the most populous Baby Boomer generation ageing, this percentage will grow.

To accommodate travellers with physical and mobility issues, as well as the expanding girth of the population, wider doorways and aisles are often now specified. Typically, designers provide space on board for two wheelchair users to travel together.

Accessible Toilets

All washrooms should be sufficiently spacious to allow wheelchairs to turn around, which is also good for families with children. UK and European Technical Specification for Interoperability specifies this, using a standard wheelchair. But some mobility impaired passengers need wheelchairs that are customised, thus sometimes larger than standard size. Ideally, accessible toilets should be designed to be a little larger than the minimum specification.

Provision of a changing table also helps many. However such toilets require much space, and many commuter and short distance train operators choose to have some regular toilets. The UK is a good example, its trains typically have only one accessible toilet per 2, 3, or 4 carriage train, with two (or more) accessible toilets on longer trains.

Other Forms of Accessibility

Accessibility issues are not just physical, but include visual, audio, perception, and memory problems. Indicative signs for toilet availability, that can be seen by people with vision problems from the other end of the carriage. Visual and hearing challenged travellers need better and clearer indication of toilet occupied status. Indication of on-board amenities such as the cafe carriage location, open hours, brief food & drink options etc help all travellers. Bluetooth digital hearing systems also exist for people with hearing impairments.

Nonetheless, neuro-divergent travellers, which include conditions such as autism, Tourette’s, dyslexia, and ADHD, aren’t yet often included in the accessibility design process. Such individuals, which are estimated to comprise up to 30% of the population (this includes those all along the spectrum), do not feel comfortable in visually over-stimulated and noisy environments. For example, heavy curtains can trap unwanted light and noise. Sound insulation in carriage walls and doors can attenuate track and exterior noises.

Exterior Lighting

Whilst this conference was expressly for train interiors, a few speakers noted that exterior lighting can also improve safety and fly the flag to bring attention to the mode. Airliners light their tails even in flight. Passenger trains should light their carrier name and logo similarly. Exterior lights for design & decoration have the added bonus of calling attention to trains, and especially from drivers – Trains can and should be billboards.

This is quite different to the UK and European railway experience, with passenger trains to all cities and most towns. North American passenger and commuter railways are a much less part of everyday life for most of the population, as many large cities have little to no passenger train service at all.

Exterior lighting was suggested to light unimproved platforms for safety, and to indicate which doors are opening when door opening is selective, for wayfinding, ie for different classes. Even projecting the carriage number, letter, or class on the platform for easy identification from afar.

Whilst in the UK, the rule is simple: No station lighting means no stopping at the station. The current difficulties there regarding exterior lighting relate to the high minimum quality of station lighting for Driver Only Operation (DOO) – South Western Railway are having to do many upgrades for the introduction of the Class 701 trains. The platform lighting rules in Europe are well defined and strict, so airline brand lighting on trains is effectively a non-starter.

Level Crossings

Extending train exterior illumination, and safety, a bit, we take a brief look at level crossings. The enormous expanse of the North American continent and its much lower density means that there are thousands of level crossings, most with no gate arms, and many with no lights or bells at all. Most of these crossings are in rural areas, so anything that can be done to increase the visibility of trains is tried. Especially low cost reflective strip. Furthermore, reflective strips on train bodies are mandatory in the US and Canada – where level crossing accidents at them are a constant threat. Such strips can be integrated with livery design and exterior lighting for maximum visibility, and have been used for decades. They are in fact the opposite of twentieth century wartime ship ‘dazzle cam’, in that they are meant to alert drivers and crossers to the existence and speed of the coming train.

Level Crossings are highly regulated in the UK, with lights, a telephone to talk to the signaller, barriers, locked gates, and sometimes obstacle detectors mandated. There are strong pressures to reduce the number of level crossings (both foot and vehicle) in the UK and to make the ones that cannot be eliminated even safer. However, they still exist on the continent, as SNCB’s recent safety campaign attests. Only one recent non-user worked level crossing failure in the UK resulting in an accident (that was the signaller’s fault) – a reflective strip won’t have any impact here.

Illumination – Passenger Lighting Dislikes

There are many things passengers don’t like about lighting. Harsh lighting, equivalent to daylight tone at all stops, in UK trains has attracted criticism, but is seen as aiding personal safety. Clearly technical improvement is possible, but there are few incentives for UK train operating companies (financial or legal) to do so.

Innovation

There is much commonality between the airliner and train interior design industries, a point made by numerous speakers. As airlines are a much larger, more competitive market than railways, they invest a lot more into interior design, especially for business and luxury classes. We will see in Part 2 the airliner cocoon concept being adopted by the next generation of US long distance trains.

One innovation is an origami-like folding privacy door, which expands from its seat side foldup to four times the size as a privacy screen. The beginning and end of this article show and describe it. Magnets secure it in place. Light weight and small storage space are primary considerations for aircraft, but can be easily be adopted for trains.

Fabrication – Material and Weightsaving Opportunities

Fibreglass is relatively heavy and difficult to recycle. Natural materials also have much more warmth than plastic or fibreglass, and tend to be more easily recycled or reused in some form. For instance, the latest Vienna metro trains used moulded plywood seats rather than plastic based upholstery. Overall, easy to clean, low maintenance finishes are required.

Colour Material Finish (CMF)

CMF is the vehicle interior designer industry term for finishes. Most such companies create CMF Design tools:

• Platform catalogs
• Standardized colours and materials
• Material library vs box (supplier materials)
• Interior designers patterns easily enable design changes

Metals, fabrics, and glass materials can be up to 80% recyclable nowadays. Using natural materials minimises material processing and improves recyclability. Even polyester velvet is made from recycled plastic. But recycling is country dependent, based on the national standards. Design for recyclability is more than just material choices. For example, a composite cloth of three different materials bonded together is not easily recyclable… separating them would be quite difficult.

Design Mockups are Where It’s At

There is sometimes little time or money for mock-ups, and CGI is cheap and relatively easy, but does not provide the same realism as a full size physical model. Nothing beats a physical mockup for passenger and employee usability design feedback gathering.

• Physical mock-ups for design, modular pieces, then could be possibly used later for service promotions.
• They would need to be made portable, or a portable template (by size), to use on different designs and trains.

In addition, Huddersfield University’s THOMoS full motion ride comfort simulator, could be used for interior design verification.

Railways are operations focused, but this is often at odds with passenger convenience. As an example – ie individual garbage/rubbish bins are labour intensive to empty, but greatly reduce making passengers walk to bin or recycle waste.

Refurbishment and Refreshing of Train Interiors

Airlines switch out interiors every 5-7 years, and airliners last 20-30 years on average. Car interiors are redesigned every 3-5 years in conjunction with exterior restyling (and functional component upgrades / improvements). Cars tend to last about 10-15 years on average.

However, North American train interiors are renewed, overhauled, refreshed only every 10-30 years on average. Train carriage bodies can last 40-50 years. This slower refresh schedule allows train manufacturers, railways, and interior design companies to monitor and benchmark airliner and auto design trends,

The interior lifespan specification determines the seats, wall finishes, luggage space, and crew space materials. The fabric chosen depends on the predicted time to replacement, for wearability and durability. Wool moquette, as used extensively on UK trains, has a typical life of about 9 years. Left longer than this and it starts to become threadbare. Flat cloth tends to have a shorter life.

Furthermore, upgradeability, modularity, and replaceability need to be designed in to surfaces and coverings. Amtrak’s older train interiors have been really difficult to upgrade, never having been designed to be replaced.

In the UK, trains are overhauled more often than 10-30 years, although some of these updates are more properly described as ‘refreshes’.

There is obviously a lot of similarities and overlap betweenairliner and train interior design, materials, and concepts. The aviation Maintenance, Repair, & Overhaul (MRO) industry could migrate to upgrade rail carriage interiors, for more cost-effective and more frequent interior refreshes. Nonetheless, airlines have a much stricter weight management regime than for trains, as well as much tighter pitch and seat width. Most rail passengers would not entertain the thought of sitting in an airline economy seat in a train.

North American train operators are planning on adding features as modules, new layouts, high capacity, possibly switching between uses – sleeper, long distance, dining, lounge and/or play space, commuter, high capacity. Flexibility of uses is foreseen as being more important going forward, as well as using recyclable and sustainable materials.

To enable easier train interior refreshes and flexibility of future designs, the initial design needs to have expandability and modularity built in.

Urban Rail Vehicle Interiors

There are different challenges in designing for urban rail vehicle interiors. Shorter distances travelled mean seats do not to have to be as comfortable. And with an aging population in most countries, priority seating areas and free space on rail vehicles for wheelchairs, baby carriages, mobility devices, large luggage, bags, wheeled shopping baskets & trolleys will be increasingly needed. Some designs dedicate multipurpose spaces near each entrance for such mobility devices and bags.

Multi-function interior design is sometimes needed, fold-up seats to make space for standees, shopping, luggage, scooters, or bikes, as well as for circulation of passengers finding space or alighting. Wide as possible gangways are also desirable for increased passenger flow, not restricting passengers with luggage or mobility devices, and visibility for safety.

In the UK, train designers have to make the most of the width available. One advantage of the wider continental gauge is a wider carriage, which really gives a feeling of spaciousness. Continental gauge also more readily allows double deck trains, but such designs usually preclude overhead luggage racks.

Olfactory

Yes you read that correctly. Montpellier’s public transport operator equipped 10 of its trams on Line 4 to spray a soft apple cinnamon perfume mist through the ventilation system during Christmas holidays. The aim was to cover up disagreeable odours. Informal feedback from passengers was that they appreciated it, if they noticed it at all. Now, an academic paper studied the trial here The effects of ambient scent on olfactory comfort and attitude toward its use in a tramway: an on-board study and determined it was a success. To quote the Abstract of the paper:

…the management of problematic ambient factors such as the odour in public transport systems is becoming a very important issue due to crowding that is constantly increasing. In this context, in order to contribute to public policies and to reduce olfactory nuisances, we evaluated the effects of ambient scent diffusers on the user experience and their attitude toward the use of such devices in public transport. We collected data among users of the tramway of Montpellier (France). They were questioned on-board about the ambient odour in two different situations. Users answered either in presence (70 users) or absence (97 users) of an ambient scent in the tramway carriage they were in. Our main results show that the presence of an ambient scent increased the pleasantness rating of the ambient odour and attenuated the perception of other odours inherent to public transport (perspiration, food, perfumes, etc.). Furthermore, the user attitude toward the presence of such a device in tramway carriages improved when the ambient scent was present. Thus, ambient scents might be a great tool in order to improve the olfactory comfort in public transport.

The effects of ambient scent on olfactory comfort and attitude toward its use in a tramway: an on-board study

Heating

For train heating, electric heaters positioned under the seats restricts legroom and storage space. The alternative is to run heaters along the sides of the carriage, which can make it annoying at window seats, forcing passengers to twist slightly to put both feet on the floor. The solution is electric underfloor heating which eliminates taking up floor space, as on UK Classes 701 and 730, among others.

Air Conditioning

Larger train windows are great, but produce a greenhouse effect in the sun. In addition to globally warming temperatures, this makes air conditioning systems even more desirable for traveller comfort. There are now environmentally friendly refrigerants that can moderate temperatures from -25°C to 45°C.

In the UK, fierce air conditioning on trains has garnered a lot of criticism – not just the cold temperatures, but also the noise can be comparable to a vacuum cleaner running next to your seat constantly.

Are there Modular UK Interiors?

Regarding a modular interior concept, we can’t see it being popular in the UK precisely because of the constrained width of the trains, and the need to make the most of what is available. It is noticeable our carriage sides are slightly curved – more expensive and challenging to manufacture whereas on the continent they are generally straight. If the modular concept was to be taken seriously in the UK (a big if), ‘clearing the decks’ by moving heaters above floor level would have been highly desirable, if space can be found somewhere.

Onboard Cycle Storage

As bikes, scooters, and their electric versions are becoming increasingly popular, having the means of securing them, ideally out of the way, is increasingly important. Designers should note that most cyclists do not like bike hooks, as they can warp alloy wheels and put them out of alignment.

A combination of DfT not properly defining bicycle dimensions, and Hitachi not appearing to measure a range of bicycle sizes when designing the bike space on their Class 80x series. They only have sufficient space for medium to narrow handle bars, but no space for pannier racks, let alone panniers.

Furthermore, anything apart from a traditional low profile road bike tyre and rim will not fit between the hook and the ceiling. City and mountain bikes with chunky tyres will not fit. In addition, the floor to ceiling height won’t allow 700c wheels and real road bike frame lengths. So few bikes can actually use the cycle spaces.

It is possible that this might be a classic case of the Japanese designing for the Japanese market and not for their overseas customers – something the UK often seems to suffer from. Perhaps Japanese bikes have wheels smaller than 700c and a proportionally smaller frame. A more fundamental problem is that UK cyclists don’t like to be separated from their bikes, so keeping the bike at a tip-up seat is more popular for bike storage.

Bikes on trains can be a tricky problem in other ways. GWR are giving up on the bike reservations because it is causing many issues, leaving a free for all rush to get a bike aboard a train. As a result, on GWR in the summer there are heavily laden Americans boarding at commuting times then discovering the luggage racks (that appear empty on first sight) are already 100% full of Bromptons. Though it must be noted that the luggage racks are well designed for space efficient Brompton filling.

Convertible UK Train Spaces

The only flexible space UK trains are the Scotrail West Highland 1 carriage Class 153 DMU vehicles (which only run attached to 2 carriage Class 156s). They have 50% of seating replaced by a mix of bike racks, luggage racks, and some space that can be adapted for either. This class will almost certainly remain that way.

Safety Aspects of Interior Design

In the UK, safety has been one of the two main drivers of train interior design, and of seating design in particular. We’ve already looked at seating design and its safety factors.

Passenger Capacity is the other Driver of UK Train Interior Design

The other driver has been capacity standards, which have distorted train interior layouts because of the unintended consequences of the metrics adopted. (This is more of a UK problem than a continental one).

Capacity is looked at quite differently in North America as journey patterns are quite different for many routes.

Electricals

Operators can improve the passenger experience by implementing sufficiently powerful device charging points and good, reliable, and fast Wi-Fi. These are becoming a basic expectation: passengers want and expect charging connections for the myriad of devices, and not everyone can afford roaming charges. Increasingly, Furthermore, the USB ports and electrical outlets need to be easy to see and plug into, not requiring contortions to reach under seats.

For Wi-Fi, often the bottleneck is the capability of the train-to-shore 4G/5G connection. In the UK, on-train WiFi is generally poor, partly because 4G/5G coverage along rail lines is spotty.

USB-C standard is still evolving

All new phones, tablets, e-book readers, handheld games, game consoles, cameras, (and external speakers/headsets that work with the aforementioned) will have to use the USB-C connector and USB-PD (power deliver standards). Unfortunately, USB-C isn’t actually a fixed standard/set of standards yet, and is still evolving. As a result, few train operators are willing to invest in USB-C on existing trains until the standard solidifies.

For context, most of London’s electric buses have USB-A sockets, but its many hybrid buses don’t. However in TfL’s bus retrofits electrical A sockets are being installed. Few, if any UK trains have USB-C sockets, not even on those being rebuilt or constructed. One of the challenges is which USB sockets to provide. USB-A is currently ubiquitous, but increasingly phones have only USB-C connectors, and come with a charging cable with USB-C at both ends.

Passenger Power Demands are Increasing

The ability to charge personal and mobility devices is expected by passengers. This typically results in a couple different electrical mains outlets installed on trains, at currents of 2A, 5A, 15A, or 20A. Lower current outlets, ie 2A, is sufficient for personal devices, whereas 15A or more are needed to recharge large mobility devices. Older trains and buses often do not have that much electrical power at their sockets. However, higher power electrical sockets are not yet an accessibility requirement for rail vehicles or buses, but should be, to provide full mobility. For charging personal devices, USB 5V sockets are typical, which does not significantly add to the train’s electrical load.

As laptops become faster and more powerful, now requiring more than 100W to charge, this was initially solved by the industry upping the current to 6.5A (for 130W), which then covered a whole lot more of the laptop market. Virtually every laptop that uses less than 130W has been USB-C for a while. Where 230V sockets are provided, laptop charging currents aren’t typically an issue. It can be a problem thought when passengers use their hair straighteners etc on board.

Dealing with higher power requires local switched mode supplies (within 4 metres of the device) and effectively Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors power electronics, which are quite expensive.

Some manufacturers have developed a configurable current limiting socket, the objective being to allow train manufacturers to select the amperage and reduce the quantity and size of cables and transformers onboard trains.

Some Micro-Mobility Devices could be an On-Board Fire Menace

E-scooters and eBikes are increasingly popular in cities, for short trips and for last mile transit connections. These devices and other permutations are collectively called micro-mobility devices, are increasingly being brought on board urban and regional trains public transport vehicles. However, inexpensive lithium-ion batteries have a tendency to catch fire, burning at temperatures much hotter than some vehicles are rated for.

A transit rider (https://lnkd.in/ducEhNkb) posted a short clip from a subway train fire at Sheppard-Yonge station in Toronto. It was allegedly caused by an e-bike transported on the train that caught fire. The e-bike owner was sent to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and another person was injured.

This case is informative for a few reasons, according to Professor Wojciech Węgrzyński of ITB, Director-at-Large at SFPE Europe, and Fire Researcher & Smoke Control Engineer:

• The smoke was managed by the smoke control systems in stations and tunnels.

• The train industry has been requiring high quality fire retardant materials which considerably slow the growth and spread of fire.

• As the Toronto subway line resumed operations quickly, it implies that the fire damage was mitigated. Fire safety engineering is a mostly unseen, yet vitally important, engineering discipline.

• Węgrzyński sets a minimum 1 MW design fire rating for any space in any part of the subway systems he designs.

E-scooter ban now also implemented at BVG Berlin

Other public-transport operators have gone a different direction, and have started to ban mobility devices that could contain lithium-ion batteries, to avoid the risk of such high temperature, smoke producing fires.

E-scooters have been banned on UK trains – but this is not surprising as user owned e-scooters are generally illegal on UK public roads and pavements. Nonetheless, there are commercial e-scooter trials in some UK cities, but these devices shouldn’t be taken on public transport anyway.

However, e-bikes are allowed onboard where and when normal bikes are, as their fire risk is very much less than e-scooters’. Mobility scooters are banned by the majority of UK rail operators for a different reason – the inability of many users of being able to manoeuvre them with precision and so not injure others, themselves, or cause damage.

Great Britain’s more limited loading gauge also means a lower floor height for potential level boarding, which reduces the floor area and central standing area between seats. Stadler trains with level boarding don’t seem to suffer narrower gangways but do have interior ramps and steps up to seats in places.

The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) has banned small electric vehicles, such as e-scooters, from its member public transport associations’ vehicles and underground stations from 1 May 2024. Fire safety experts have criticised the insufficient safety standards for the lithium-ion batteries used in these vehicles. This ban does not affect e-bikes, motorised wheelchairs, or seniors’ e-mobility scooters, which satisfy significantly higher battery safety requirements. Other German cities have also banned e-scooters: Hamburg’s U-Bahn ban started August 2023, followed by Rheinbahn in Düsseldorf in March 2024 and Munich the following month.

Fires and explosions involving electric scooters in public transport vehicles occurred in London, Barcelona, and Madrid in recent years. In October 2023, the interior of a Madrid underground railway carriage was even completely destroyed by an explosion of the lithium-ion batteries of a scooter. Fortunately, no one was injured which happened in a tunnel.

There was an e-scooter fire on a London Underground train, then platform of Parsons Green station in November 2021, which was followed by a ban on taking such mobility devices on TfL trains, buses, trams, and in stations from December 2021.

There are currently no sufficiently specific norms and safety standards for the lithium-ion batteries used in electric trolleys, either at national or European level.

For potential fires in rail vehicles underground, it is not always possible for passengers to switch to an adjacent unaffected carriage if it is an older, non-walkthrough design. The rapid production of smoke within an enclosed space will lead to health problems for passengers, even within a short remaining journey time to the next stop. Hence allowing e-scooters in underground trains is not recommended. However, enforcement of such a ban is not always possible, especially with unmanned entrances.

Fire Suppression

The onboard active fire suppression system needs to be able to extinguish Class A (ordinary combustibles), Class B (flammable liquids), and Class C (electrical) fires. And the fire fighting agent must be safe on people, and pose no long-term health or environmental risks.

Condensed aerosol is considered to be a good solution, safe for use around passengers and crew, as it does not displace oxygen. Furthermore, condensed aerosol units do not contribute to global warming or ozone depletion.

This is Not the End

We have looked at many different individual components that comprise the passenger experience. In Part 2, we will look at some North American train operators who are planning their next generation of long distance and high speed trains. As well as looking at a recent North American private passenger railway company that has made design of their trains (and stations) a key selling point.

Thank you to Railway Interior Innovation Summit host Red Cabin for access to this conference.