What features of new UK trains would you not fit.

[Ken H]

Remember the adage - nothing is reliable as the part you dont fit.

Also, some features of new trains are expensive/heavy/a maintenance liability

So what stuff in new trains would you chuck in the skip rather than fit it to the trains?

I understand some of the kit fitted to new trains is for safety reasons. That isnt a reason not to discuss it here, but we need to see a good reason to abandon the safety kit.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fainsa Sophia seats.

 

[Bayum]

The clinical lighting. I'm sure there's a warmer lighting that can pass health and safety bits and pieces.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The clinical lighting. I'm sure there's a warmer lighting that can pass health and safety bits and pieces.

There is, see the Class 196.

 

[edwin_m]

I'd say deformable bodywork in intermediate cars is highly questionable. In 30 years or so I don't believe it's saved a single life.

 

[vuzzeho]

i know this is dumb and minor, but ‘squishy’ door open/close buttons. on the aventras and other newer trains, the tactile feedback of the buttons feels squishy or too soft - i miss the clicky buttons from the 2000s!!

 

[The exile]

Tempted to say anything that can’t be fixed by hitting it with a hammer!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Kitchens.

It’s 2024, people buy their food at the stations or beforehand.

 

[sleepy_hollow]

Seats: far too many and not enough cycle spaces.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Kitchens.

It’s 2024, people buy their food at the stations or beforehand.

Meh, I've had a couple of early/late long distance runs lately and being able to of had a meal on the train would have been really convenient

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Seats: far too many and not enough cycle spaces.

Cycle spaces: Far too much space given over to cycles and luggage. You could fit more seats in that space!

 

[JD2168]

Too many tables particularly fitted to Northern Class 195, should have more airline seats.

 

[PG]

Automated announcements, especially see/say/sort it!

 

[Topological]

Doors - removes the debate about 3rds versus ends
Windows - saves worrying about lining up the seats
Seats - not needed once the doors are gone or desired without windows
The whole train - Not needed now noone uses the train.

Doing this in any other order would cause chaos though.

 

[Krokodil]

The passengers. Wouldn't have half as many issues.

 

[stevieinselby]

Kitchens.

It’s 2024, people buy their food at the stations or beforehand.

Disagree.
What's 2024 got to do with it? We've had food outlets at stations since before we had catering on trains!
If I'm making a long journey and I want hot food, I might not want it at the start of the journey ... or I might be boarding at a smaller station that doesn't have any catering.
Yes, the days of dedicated restaurant cars are behind us, but if you want to encourage people to make long journeys by train then you need to have adequate on-board catering.

 

[bramling]

Remember the adage - nothing is reliable as the part you dont fit.

Also, some features of new trains are expensive/heavy/a maintenance liability

So what stuff in new trains would you chuck in the skip rather than fit it to the trains?

I understand some of the kit fitted to new trains is for safety reasons. That isnt a reason not to discuss it here, but we need to see a good reason to abandon the safety kit.

Walk-through. I think it is massively over-egged, especially on more outer-suburban trains as opposed to metro. For me it creates a horrible ambience.

 

[biggerisbetter]

Too many tables particularly fitted to Northern Class 195, should have more airline seats.

I would say the table layout on the 195s and 331s is ideal. With more people travelling for leisure and trains needing to attract people travelling for business there needs to be ample space for people to work on laptops. The Crosscountry 220s and 221s for example providing nowhere near enough tables (although I appreciate that given the units are much shorter than the ideal, this is about providing as many seats as possible).

 

[Gaz55]

USB-A ports. A leftover from the 2010s, all trains should have full plug sockets or USB-C ports, for me.

 

[185]

Wibbly-wobbly up and down floors, totally unnecessary in a 100% high platform country (Spadler)

Black fronts, endangering track staff and looks rubbish.

Multicoloured train doors, obsolete if modern LEDs are fitted in place.

Not just Fainsa Sophia seats ANY seat with under 1-inch thick cushions or backs.

Any seats with no arm rest or 2 inch spacer between them.

Any seat base under 19 inch wide.

Any seat only suitable for Cap'n Long John Silver where 33% of legroom is replaced by a heater duct. (CAF, Conservative Assisting Fiftygrand)

Any automated train announcement totalling over 5 seconds per station. See it, say it, smash it up. Diolch.

First class on any train less than six coaches regardless if it might couple up somewhere.

And finally in this room 101 of junk I would put every modern train designer responsible for deliveries post 2015 and the railway management who ordered the garbage.

 

[Krokodil]

USB-A ports. A leftover from the 2010s, all trains should have full plug sockets or USB-C ports, for me.

Most people carry a cable with a USB A connector at one end (more commonly a 3.0 one these days) than carry one with USB C connectors at both ends.

 

[edwin_m]

Most people carry a cable with a USB A connector at one end (more commonly a 3.0 one these days) than carry one with USB C connectors at both ends.

USB-C is becoming more common though, and seems more robust.

 

[vuzzeho]

USB-A ports. A leftover from the 2010s, all trains should have full plug sockets or USB-C ports, for me.

I agree that we need USB-C ports more, but it's undeniable that USB-A is still very popular.

 

[Sun Chariot]

I'm 6' 6" tall, so there are several features of new UK trains that I wouldn't fit.

 

[6Gman]

Too many tables particularly fitted to Northern Class 195, should have more airline seats.

Too many airline seats, should have more tables.



Airline seating seems popular among enthusiasts - I wonder if there's a link to autism and social awkwardness?

 

[renegademaster]

Airline seats are just better for legroom on a busy train. Tables are nice only if the the train is half full

 

[Russel]

USB-A ports. A leftover from the 2010s, all trains should have full plug sockets or USB-C ports, for me.

USB Sockets in general need to go, they are far too fragile, I don't even bother trying them anymore because every other time I try one it's broken, I just stick to using a 3 pin plug.

 

[Krokodil]

Too many airline seats, should have more tables.



Airline seating seems popular among enthusiasts - I wonder if there's a link to autism and social awkwardness?

I've only once had an actual passenger complain about there being too many table seats. This was on a train where nearly 95% of the seating was around tables. On the same sets, it was noticable that three coaches worth of airline seats (so a total of 12 seats) would often be reserved, but only around two coaches worth of table seats (say 120 seats). On that (admittedly unscientific) basis, I'm going to recommend that only 90% of seating should be around tables, with 10% airline.

USB Sockets in general need to go, they are far too fragile, I don't even bother trying them anymore because every other time I try one it's broken, I just stick to using a 3 pin plug.

I seldom encounter a physically broken USB socket. More commonly the entire circuit has tripped so both the USB and three-pin sockets will be dead.

 

[mangyiscute]

I think the class 80xs have roughly the right amount of table seats vs airline seats - i think it's something like 10 tables per carriage, so plenty of tables to go around but there are still loads of airline seats available too.
The one thing that annoys me is that in a lot of the carriages and throughout the whole train, there are a lot more seats facing one way than the others (iirc its usually more seats facing away from London).

 

[Howardh]

Automated air conditioning. Very rarely do trains require a/c in this country, yet it seems to be on most of the time, so you are uncomfortably cold; Thameslink seem to be the worst for this. If they could be manually controlled, maybe even a different temp per carriage, we could move around in comfort.