Napping pods, smart seats and facial recognition – this could be the future of train travel in the UK.
Train travel in the UK can be a rollercoaster if you’re unlucky, with passengers facing delays and cancellations.
While most people just want their trains to turn up on time and cheaper tickets, journeys could offer a lot more bang for their buck in 50 years.
To celebrate 200 years of modern railways, experts have created a sneak peek of what passengers can expect from their journeys in 2075.
Future expert Tom Cheesewright has predicted what comforts and features trains will boast as part of an exhibition by the train operator LNERat King’s Cross.
These include faster journeys thanks to more aerodynamic trains, quantum computing and AI technology.
Also, long gone might be traditional train carriages we are used to seeing – the future trains could be made of new, slippery composite materials inspired by sea creatures and birds.
The advanced 3D printed metal would allow trains to be lighter, stronger and stiffer, and reach higher speeds with much less energy.
Facial recognition could replace the pesky ticket barriers one day.
The most sci-fi prediction includes robot platform pods that would pick up passengers individually between platforms for onward travel.
Even passengers might have evolved – so much so that train travel might no longer be about getting from A to B, but a wellness journey instead.
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Cheesewright, an applied futurist and author of the report Train of the Future, said: ‘Imagining train travel in 50 years means thinking about everything that will be possible, such as new technologies and innovations, but also thinking about what we will want and need from the trains of the future.
‘Where possibilities and need collide, we see a fantastic vision. The train journey of the future will be smooth from start to finish, aided by AI planning, ticketless travel, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
‘The train of the future will look like a science-fiction marvel: swooping and organic, powerful and quiet, and with an onboard experience that connects us to the countryside around us, or the digital world, or even a seamless combination of the two’
But what changes would passengers like to see in the next half a century?
On top of the list is cinema-style onboard entertainment, a LNER survey of 2,000 people shows.
High up were also wellness carriages, train nap pods, pre-programmed smart seats, pet zones, self-balancing food trays, family playrooms, odourless food, an on-board concierge for destination recommendation and neurodivergent-friendly areas.
What’s the Great British Railways plan?
Luckily, you don’t need to wait for 50 years for train travel to change.
The government has promised a ‘shake-up’ of Britain’s railways as train operators are brought back into public ownership as part of the Great British Railways.
The first company that was renationalised was South Wester Railway, followed by c2c.
The move is set to bring more punctual services, cleaner trains and better Wifi among other perks, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
However, so far there has been no promise of cheaper train tickets under the Great British Railways company, which is set to be up and running by 2027.
You can read more about what the Great British Railways is here.
Train of the Future exhibition is open 9am-5pm at London’s King’s Cross station from Wednesday, July 30 until Friday, August 1.
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