The Problem: Peak-time commuter trains are always overcrowded.
The Solution: Create carriages that are standing-only to increase capacity.
Anyone who has been on a peak-time commuter train in the UK will be well aware of the problem of overcrowding, and acutely aware if they have ever tried to get onto a train at Clapham Junction in the morning or squeeze into a train from London Waterloo at peak time.
All of these trains are overcrowded, with all the seats taken, and only limited, uncomfortable standing space, often with very little to hold onto for balance.
Such trains are highly inefficient at moving people during peak hours, as the seats take up space that could accommodate far more standing passengers than sitting passengers. At the same time, fewer people move down inside the carriages in the aisles between seats, further limiting capacity.
However, off peak trains are often empty, or only partially full, with plenty of seating.
My solution is therefore very simple – to convert one in four carriages on commuter trains into a standing-only carriage.
These carriages would significantly improve the capacity of these trains and although some people would miss out on a seat, far more people would benefit from the extra capacity and comfort of a carriage specifically designed for standing. The other three carriages would still offer ample seating to make those with longer journeys comfortable.
The carriages would use new designs to create optimum standing conditions for all people, men and women and children alike, to not only achieve maximum capacity but also maximum safety and comfort of those standing.
The carriages could even have card scanners in them, so those using them get a small discount on travel.
The trains themselves (assuming they are four-car units) would still have seating and disabled capacity in the other three carriages, and there would be adequate seating for off-peak passengers.
The standing carriages would have the added benefit that they could be used for moving freight, such as parcels, during off-peak travel. Because there would be no seats, pallets could be moved on and off the carriages at stations to provide low-carbon transport to key hub locations for final delivery, reducing emissions, reducing road traffic, and increasing revenue for rail operators, which could then be reinvested into the network to improve conditions and reduce fares.
An out-standing idea!
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