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New-build stock with compartments

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anti-pacer

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Would this be a good idea in your opinion?

I miss the old compartments on Intercity trains. I remember them going from Preston to London in the mid 80's.

The only problems I could see are personal safety and probably less seating capacity.
 
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yorksrob

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Hell yes, if only.

Just read this forum. People perennially complaining about children crying and loud people. Build compartments and people will be more cocooned.
 

Domh245

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OTOH, with the gradual move towards single staffing of trains, compartments because very attractive for the ne'er-do-well-ers
 

yorksrob

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If we think safety is an issue, just don't include the blinds that have traditionally obscured the corridor windows from the corridor. Passengers can enjoy the quiet of the compartment whilst being in view of the corridor.
 

fowler9

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Would this be a good idea in your opinion?

I miss the old compartments on Intercity trains. I remember them going from Preston to London in the mid 80's.

The only problems I could see are personal safety and probably less seating capacity.

So apart from personal safety and seating capacity would I want them back? Yes. Unfortunately personal safety and seating capacity are pretty important to me. :D
 

daikilo

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Would this be a good idea in your opinion?

I miss the old compartments on Intercity trains. I remember them going from Preston to London in the mid 80's.

The only problems I could see are personal safety and probably less seating capacity.

Not sure about seating capacity v. facing seats, but definitely a shortfall v. so-called airline seating. Assumed to be less safe that open carriages so no way in my view.
 

Esmenfif

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I've always preferred compartments, but it is quite clear that they are not coming back.
 

Polarbear

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I'd also like to see compartments, but it's unlikely to happen for reasons cited earlier in the thread.

That said, DB have some compartments on their ICE trains so it can be done. Also, I'm sure it would be possible to design modern day compartments using more glass instead of (wood) panelling, which would help with security issues.

Other than the 442's, I think I'm correct in saying that the last stock built with compartments were the Mk2 BFK's in the mid 1970's. BR policy was to dispense with compartments.
 

yorksrob

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Indeed. We had the option of compartments from my first experience of the railway until 2005/(8 counting Lymington) and I don't remember the world falling in.

Infact, I don't remember compartments being raised as an issue on London Plus, Southern News, Meridian News, Coast to Coast or any of the other Southern based news programed at the time.
 

route:oxford

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Given how awful mobile reception is on some stock, I can just imagine how effective a Faraday cage a modern built compartment would be.

Not to mention the probable 2 wall sockets with 10 seats to a compartment lack of sockets and no doubt dodgy wifi reception.

Imagine being in one of a Turbostar design, but being in the compartment with the half window...
 

Rail Blues

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I'm guessing that most people on these boards getting all rheumy eyed over compartments are male. I'd suspect female travellers, especially lone female travellers would feel differently about them.
 

Peter Mugridge

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I much prefer opens partly because it's a lot easier to see the view outside on both sides ( 390s excepted! ) and partly because I like the greater impression of speed that you get from being able to see down the full length of a carriage if you're near the back of it.
 

yorksrob

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I'm guessing that most people on these boards getting all rheumy eyed over compartments are male. I'd suspect female travellers, especially lone female travellers would feel differently about them.

Fair point, but in my experience, compo stock has only ever been around a quarter-third of the train I've been travelling on.

If we were to legislate that at least half of the train should be in open saloons, would that be acceptable ?
 
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bramling

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Would this be a good idea in your opinion?

I miss the old compartments on Intercity trains. I remember them going from Preston to London in the mid 80's.

The only problems I could see are personal safety and probably less seating capacity.

Definitely YES.

Personal security could be mitigated by CCTV, more use of glass, and retention of open areas for those who didn't want to use a compartment.

Loss of capacity and accessibility are more difficult to work around. Something like the First Class on a Pendolino could be easy to include one or two compartment vehicles, I'm not sure this would lose any capacity.
 

BR60062

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If I operated a TOC. I would have compartments for first class passengers with the sliding door operated by the LCD screen like you get on the Emirates Airlines and full British hand-stitched leather seats with recline and massage facility. Business class for those that want a bit of luxury such as reclining seats with 50/50 leather and alcantara (ex-current First Class) and standard class which would be as current with all TOC's. I would operate my trains similar to an airline :).

This below are the type of seats I would have in the compartments of my trains ;).
http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/dscn3346.jpg
 

Helvellyn

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Other than the 442's, I think I'm correct in saying that the last stock built with compartments were the Mk2 BFK's in the mid 1970's. BR policy was to dispense with compartments.
Correct, the last loco-hauled corridor stock were Mk 2 BFKs, specifically Mk 2D (so air conditioned, which was considered even better by users because of better sound proofing). There were also Mk 2D FKs, many of which were in use on CrossCountry services by the late 1980s.

Then NSE came along and for the 442s brought back First Class compartments. I'm guessing that because unlike with loco hauled stock (or HSTs) where first class could be put at one end of the train, through-gangwayed multiple unit stock had it spread across the train and it gave greater privacy when Standard Class passengers were walking through a train (or even standing in the peaks).

The 442s had six compartments (so 36 seats in all), and then a small open saloon of 14 seats arranged 2+2. This latter area was originally Standard Class but greater than expected demand for First Class saw it become First Class too. It was popular with those customers wanting a table.

Interestingly, if the Class 471 Networker Express for the Kent Coast services had been built after the 465/466 Kent Link commuter stock, that too would have had First Class compartments based on mock-ups displayed by NSE at the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briti...381_and_471#/media/File:Class471MockUp002.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briti...381_and_471#/media/File:Class471MockUp003.jpg

Before the 442s were taken off lease with SWT as a result of the 2007 franchise award it was being looked at to remove the compartments anyway as part of a major interior refurbishment.

Interestingly, whilst a lot of people here seem to like the idea of compartment stock coming back I wonder just how many First Class passengers would appreciate it? The one thing you don't have is a table (fixed of fold down) and you just have to look how many First Class passengers on SWT in the peaks are business types working on their laptops or working on papers. Plus it is not unusual on peak trains for the single seats to fill up first because people prefer not to have somebody sitting next to them.
 

43096

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Correct, the last loco-hauled corridor stock were Mk 2 BFKs, specifically Mk 2D (so air conditioned, which was considered even better by users because of better sound proofing). There were also Mk 2D FKs, many of which were in use on CrossCountry services by the late 1980s.

Mark 3 sleepers have compartments....
 

Rick1984

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Anyone got a picture of a Mk 2 BFK compartment? Would be interesting to see.
 

Rail Blues

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Fair point, but in my experience, compo stock has only ever been around a quarter-third of the train I've been travelling on.

If we were to legislate that at least half of the train should be in open saloons, would that be acceptable ?

It wouldn't bother me, but then I don't particularly like compartments anyway. I've only ever used them on heritage railways and even then I wasn't really keen.

I don't like the forced intimacy of being shoved in a tiny area with five complete strangers. All well and good if you've got one to yourself, but the prospect of being stuck in the middle seat of three between two boozed up 18 stone blokes with BO straight off the rigs doesn't appeal much.

I can see the appeal being very limited to those who:

1) Could afford the premium for first class
2) Didn't mind sharing with strangers
3) Didn't need a table to work on
4) Didn't have a disability/mobility issue.

I can't see it having mass appeal.
 
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