HS2 high speed trains to Euston will be 'most comfortable' on UK rail network with 87cm of legroom

Passengers connected HS2 precocious velocity trains to and from Euston volition bask the “most comfortable” seats connected the obstruction web nether plans being drawn up.

Standard people seats volition person market-leading legroom of 87 cm, according to full-size concepts astatine bid shaper Alstom’s Derby factory.

Airline-style seats volition springiness each rider casual entree to a ample fold-down table, a support for tiny physics devices, a speechmaking airy with 3 brightness settings, a overgarment hook, a USB-C socket and 2 three-pin plug sockets, the latest versions shows.

The bottommost portion of HS2 seats volition beryllium capable to descent forwards, enabling passengers to recline without encroaching connected the abstraction of the idiosyncratic down them.

It is not yet wide however the caller Government plans to wage for the Euston stretch.

HS2 Ltd unveiled the latest bid designs which purpose to recify immoderate perceived shortcomings connected seats connected different rolling stock.

Passengers travelling connected immoderate existing trains tally by operators specified arsenic Thameslink and Great Western Railway person complained that bladed padding makes the seats uncomfortable for agelong journeys, comparing them to ironing boards.

HS2 Ltd elder rolling banal technologist James Dawson said the ambition is for HS2 services to person “the astir comfy spot connected trains successful the UK”.

He stressed: “We cognize determination been issues with immoderate caller seats, we cognize the failure, we cognize wherefore that is.

“We’ll commencement disconnected by looking astatine what’s successful the cushion to marque definite that’s comfy and robust, and look astatine the geometry of the back.”

Simon Aslett, rolling banal manager astatine the West Coast Partnership Development, a associated task betwixt FirstGroup and Trenitalia which is liable for preparing to tally archetypal HS2 services, added: “As an manufacture we person done a beauteous atrocious occupation with immoderate of the erstwhile inter-city spot designs, and there’s been a batch of nationalist backlash. These volition beryllium overmuch better.

“It’s hard though, due to the fact that if you’re buying a car, you bargain a car that’s comfy for you.

“If you’re designing a train, the situation is to effort and get it arsenic comfy arsenic imaginable for antithetic groups.

“It wouldn’t astonishment maine if you get immoderate radical who accidental ‘I don’t cognize what you’ve done, it’s uncomfortable’.”

Mr Aslett said the manufacture has made advancement successful designing much comfy seats, citing examples from FirstGroup-owned operators Lumo and Avanti West Coast.

He added that a operation of aboriginal investigating connected the HS2 concepts and rider insights from journeys connected existing trains volition pb to further improvements.

The process of designing HS2 carriages began successful 2022 pursuing the awarding of a £1.9 cardinal declaration to an Alstom-Hitachi associated task to design, physique and support 54 high-speed trains.

Consultations person been conducted with much than 100 radical with a scope of needs, including parents with young children, cyclists and wheelchair users, starring to the instauration of mock ups of bid carriage sections.

Further investigating volition pb to much tweaks earlier a last plan is created successful aboriginal 2026.

Onboard toilets volition person a fig of features aimed astatine solving problems suffered by passengers connected galore existing services.

A support volition alteration users to store a bag, preventing it from coming into interaction with a bedewed floor.

Information screens volition show however galore minutes earlier the bid volition scope the adjacent station, and a propulsion down spot volition beryllium disposable to support toddlers restrained portion their parents usage the toilet.

In the main carriage sections, the solid utilized for overhead luggage racks volition beryllium frosted.

This is simply a effect of privateness concerns connected immoderate existing trains, wherever unfrosted solid tin bespeak physics instrumentality screens, making them disposable to different passengers.

HS2 trains volition connection bookable spaces for bicycles, wheelchairs and unfolded pushchairs, level boarding astatine HS2 stations, and person larger-than-normal caput country owed to much instrumentality being stored nether floors and astatine the ends of carriages.