We also know as a virtual certainty that most of the seats (as in more than half) will be bus style without tables, this is as shown on the drawings published.
For the
IEP▸ Order yes. You have no clue how the additional order is to be configured which will be to the operators wishes,
with no DfT» input as they're privately financed. And it's well known that half the population (ie women) prefer the privacy of these airline (not bus) seats to table seating where men play footsie.
It is true that a fair number of passengers prefer the airline style layout to facing seats with tables. Not just females either.
Wasn't there a study that showed that the first seats taken on a
FGW▸ HST▸ , paricularly during the peaks, were those closest to the carriage ends and the doors, followed by the airline style seats. Table seats tended to be avoided by solo travellers.
Conversely, groups of 3 or 4, or families, tended to go for the tables first.
Regarding finance, the IEP train order (i.e. the cost of the actual trains) is also privately funded. HSBC are heading up a group of
UK▸ and overseas investors, who are providing the finance to pay for the trains and support infrastructure. The UK government will not be buying them, or paying for them.
The lack of luggage space is a reasonable inference to be made from the scarcity of table seats (no space for bags between seat backs) and the absence of power cars and the luggage space therein.
luggage space is like road provision - you supply it & it'll generate its own traffic. You could never have too much even if each seat came with its own luggage space instead of a seat beside it 0- that would still fill. Better to stop people using them to move house....:-)
I can't say I've ever seen people placing their luggage in a HST power car. Maybe I'm just not observant enough?
The IEP spec detailed the required minimum baggage space. If it's mostly at the carriage ends, in or near the vestibules, that brings its own issues of security and passenger confidence.
Again, it's no use speculating until we can see what the end result turns out to be.
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