New Tyne and Wear Metro trains: what do passengers want?

22 February 2017

Metro passengers have given a thumbs up to seating along the inside wall of its new trains.

We recently had the opportunity to work with Nexus as they prepare to invest £540m in new rolling stock, to discover what passengers really wanted from the new Tyne and Wear metro trains. Transport Focus considers it essential to involve passengers in the design of new rolling stock at the earliest opportunity.

Our research indicates that perception of space in the train is a key issue for Metro passengers. While passengers are happy with the ease of getting on and off, trains can become congested and future designs should include features that encourage passengers to move down within the carriages. Other key issues that passengers identified were seating layout, seat availability, cleanliness, Wi-Fi and personal security.

Passengers identify the current layout of seats to be a key contributor to a lack of space within Metrocars; linear seating designs are therefore seen to be most suitable for commuters. Not everyone has the same opinion and designs involving a greater mix of seating are favoured by those travelling outside of peak times.

Examples of potential new carriage layouts for the Metro, as shown to passengers, can be seen below.

There is no better way to ensure the design meets their needs than to ask the users themselves. We conducted similar research for Merseytravel two years ago.

It is important that Nexus regularly and clearly communicate with passengers up to the introduction of the new rolling stock about what the new designs offer.

Click here to read the report.

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