Standing seats for high-capacity trains

• Main Authors: Conor O’NEILL, Marcus WAKE, Lin FU, Christopher SAMUEL-HORSFALL, Evrim KOR, João VIEIRA, Yang DONG FANG
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Silesian University of Technology 2014-10-01
• Series: Transport Problems
• Subjects: transport capacity; seating; standing seats; commuter; train interior; train design
• Online Access: http://transportproblems.polsl.pl/pl/Archiwum/2014/zeszytS/2014t9zS_07.pdf

This paper details the design and potential implementation of standing seats in a commuter rail vehicle for the purposes of maximising capacity and revenue. The vehicle interior design is suited to the “Commuter Class” – a subset of travellers who travel primarily within the commuter belt and frequently utilise rail networks on a daily basis but require little additional space for luggage or peripherals. The concept delivers capacity increases in excess of 50% whilst still offering passengers a greater degree of personal space when compared with standing in aisles or gangways. The impact on vehicle stability and supporting intelligent systems are also discussed, delivering a unique design tailored specifically to meet the needs of the commuter class passenger.