17 June 2011
ScotRail's new trains
Jolin Warren, Transform Scotland's research officer, gives his views on ScotRail's new trains:Yesterday I travelled on one of
ScotRail's new 'Class 380' trains which have gone into service on the Glasgow suburban routes.
It was a very comfortable journey, with a light, open interior, power sockets by the seats for my computer, space for my bike, and quick, smooth, quiet acceleration. My one complaint is that the tables are too short, and if you were to end up in an aisle seat, there is no working space.
The interior of trains has an enormous impact on the comfort of journeys, as well as people's likelihood to choose the train over cars. Seat-window alignment, how open the space feels, and availability of tables and power sockets are all important factors in providing a pleasant travel and working environment for passengers. In the next few years, we'll see the introduction of many more new trains on the ScotRail network, with the opening of the Waverley route to the Borders and the Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Project. If you have views on how train interiors should be specified, please contact us so we can include them when we talk with Transport Scotland and ScotRail about the procurement of new trains in the next few years.