A concept design for a new fleet of trains has been shown off with a novel seat design that creates more space for luggage next to the passenger.
At the moment, luggage is typically left in racks near the carriage doors where it’s unattended or squashed awkwardly into spaces next to seats, but the concept, by PriestmanGoode turns aisle seating into flip-up seats that can either be used for luggage or sitting on.
(c) PriestmanGoode
The idea is that the flip-up seats are not just more sensible for large luggage, they actually increase the amount of usable space for luggage, not just at the seat itself, but also by replacing the conventional luggage racks with more seats. And apart from luggage, there are considerable benefits for families with toddlers, where sometimes a mother is relegated to the end of the carriage while the rest of the family sits elsewhere. With the flip-up seats, there’s space for the pram to be next to the rest of the family.
PriestmanGoode says that its “Proteus rail interior system” is a collection of ideas that offer more flexibility, improved comfort and design features that benefit both commuters and leisure travellers. PriestmanGoode was awarded funding for the project through the Department for Transport’s First of a Kind competition run by Innovate UK, with their application sponsored and supported by project partners Angel Trains and Chiltern Railways.
Away from the obvious change for improving luggage storage, a staggered seat layout is said to help eliminate shoulder clash” when people sit next to each other.
Ian Hyde, Engineering Director for Chiltern Railways commented: “This seating concept demonstrates what may be achieved with clever and varied thinking and it will be interesting to see the feedback received. Whilst we have no current plans to change our train layouts, the concepts presented are a useful consideration as the railway adapts to changing customer needs and expectations, particularly around increases in leisure travel across the network.”
So an interesting idea that may, possibly, come to trains in the future, but not just yet.
It’s all fun and games until the train gets busy and you’re left looking at people with luggage with utter contempt, as you stand for 2 hours.
Which of course never happens today with people refusing to remove bags from seats.
It might work on London commuter lines though. In the peak hardly anyone has luggage and so all seats are used. Off-peak, trains are less busy and leisure traffic with luggage is attracted.
It might be the right answer for the right services. The danger is it gets used on routes it was never designed for.
Isn’t using the wrong thing in the wrong place a problem for everything in life though?
The demise of the Guard’s Van is still to be regretted ….
As the guards van was replaced with more seats for people to sit in, I am very pleased it has gone.
It was also where wheelchairs were dumped – often with the users still in them!
Given tube cars have had flip up seating for a couple of decades now it’s hardly revolutionary to try it here. When I went to Avignon via Eurostar a few years ago – they oly did a summer Saturday service then – they closed off several rows of seats for more luggage as it was mostly people coming to and from their holiday homes for a few weeks.
Still ironing board thickness of seat base and backs do not align up with each other, allowing aisle passenger to look over shoulder of window seat passenger. I suggest it needs further development.