Poor Design Examples....

[Andyh82]

Has anyone mentioned the door open buttons on a 142, that were located round the other side of the glass partition to where the door was

 

[InkyScrolls]

Has anyone mentioned the door open buttons on a 142, that were located round the other side of the glass partition to where the door was

Ah, those were good! The amount of times infrequent travellers stood there, waiting patiently for the door to open. . .

 

[Devonian]

I would count as bad design the quirk that, though other trains at home and abroad have red emergency 'communication cords' (whether they be alarms or brakes) labelled with red signage, the signage for the emergency alarms on the IETs is ... green.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah, those were good! The amount of times infrequent travellers stood there, waiting patiently for the door to open. . .

Saw many missed stops from those, even where I shouted to them.

Northern moved them round, goodness knows why BR didn't.

 

[py_megapixel]

I would count as bad design the quirk that, though other trains at home and abroad have red emergency 'communication cords' (whether they be alarms or brakes) labelled with red signage, the signage for the emergency alarms on the IETs is ... green.

Also, on the 195s (or some of them at least!), the signs say "if activated unadvertently"... "unadvertently" isn't a word!

 

[Watershed]

Also, on the 195s (or some of them at least!), the stickers say "if activated unadvertently"...

"unadvertently" isn't a word!

Lost in translation from Spanish, perhaps?

I remember LM's emergency notice stating that "your saftey is our priority". Inspires confidence, doesn't it

 

[Bletchleyite]

I would count as bad design the quirk that, though other trains at home and abroad have red emergency 'communication cords' (whether they be alarms or brakes) labelled with red signage, the signage for the emergency alarms on the IETs is ... green.

Does the IET have a green alarm and a red emergency brake? Some CAF stock does, and that is a common European approach.

Most UK stock tends to have a red passcom and green door release, I thought 80x were the same.

 

[XAM2175]

Does the IET have a green alarm and a red emergency brake? Some CAF stock does, and that is a common European approach.

Most UK stock tends to have a red passcom and green door release, I thought 80x were the same.

I had a notion that there was a standardised approach to this now, but the PRM TSI only covers call-for-aid panels, and the LOC&PAS TSI doesn't cover it at all.

 

[Energy]

ONE's branding was some pretty bad design (what became NXEA). It wasn't nice to look at and the name caused announcement confusions.

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

Under UK fire regs green is for door release red is for emergency alarm

 

[johnnychips]

Has anyone mentioned the door open buttons on a 142, that were located round the other side of the glass partition to where the door was

Very well remembered! Your reply actually gave me the giggles, because I recall years ago thinking ‘how bloody daft is that!’

 

[skyhigh]

Under UK fire regs green is for door release red is for emergency alarm

Do fire regulations apply to rolling stock, or just premises?

 

[penguin8967]

The toilet door button on IETs being placed right next to the exit doors - seen plenty of people pressing the wrong one at a station

 

[Bevan Price]

What do you mean by 'enough'? There is a grab rail in each door pillar. I hold onto them several times per week.

There needs to be more grap rails/posts in the standing area across the carriage width between doors on opposite sides of the coaches. I was recently stood in that area on a very overcrowded train, and every time the train started (or stopped), the acceleration (or braking) was enough to throw me into the surrounding passengers because there was nowhere to grab hold.

 

[Dr Hoo]

There needs to be more grap rails/posts in the standing area across the carriage width between doors on opposite sides of the coaches. I was recently stood in that area on a very overcrowded train, and every time the train started (or stopped), the acceleration (or braking) was enough to throw me into the surrounding passengers because there was nowhere to grab hold.

Ah, right. So a 'standee' issue rather than a boarding and alighting one. I see where you're coming from.

 

[py_megapixel]

The toilet door button on IETs being placed right next to the exit doors - seen plenty of people pressing the wrong one at a station

There seem to be quite a lot of these poorly-placed buttons around the network... it's odd that designers never seem to learn from that particular mistake.

 

[route101]

I don’t get this fixation with fixed armest against train walls - the 158, 159 and IET being particularly irritating examples (unless your lucky enough to find a “broken” one where someone has forced it upwards). But the worst and most uncomfortable offender I’ve found at this by far is the seated coaches in the CAF Mk5s on the Caledonian Sleeper. Covered in thin moquette and fixed, coupled with the rather annoying footrest, made for an uncomfortable nights sleep recently.

However, one for the bizarre design choices - the small briefcase / newspaper rack between the seat and the walls on the ScotRail 170s. Why?

Speaking of Scotland - referencing my earlier post about the terrible seat spacing on the Corkerhill 158s…

Yes, the Scotrail 158s seats around a bay of 4 are close together! I think it's same now in the 156s too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Oct 2022 ==

SWR class 444s have a lack of luggage space and over head racks are too small.

 

[SeanG]

I always found them quite effective (and I have terrible hand/eye coordination)

Don't get me started on the integrated soap dispenser/tap/hand dryer. One false move and you end up blowing soap and water all over you! (Or so I am told anyway of course....)

 

[APT618S]

Has anyone mentioned the door open buttons on a 142, that were located round the other side of the glass partition to where the door was

Saw many missed stops from those, even where I shouted to them.

Fortunately the only over-carry I saw was Garforth to East Garforth.

 

[fandroid]

Yes, the Scotrail 158s seats around a bay of 4 are close together! I think it's same now in the 156s too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Oct 2022 ==

SWR class 444s have a lack of luggage space and over head racks are too small.

I disagree about the overhead racks in 444 units. They are some of the best on the network for the job they're designed for. The glass tray means that accidentally leaving things there is less likely. Their size is perfect for normal aircraft style "cabin bags". To encourage the placing of anything larger up there poses a danger to all passengers. SWT/SWR have never got their heads around the dual customer base of those units - commuting during the working week and families for leisure at weekends. And they can be very busy at weekends, especially in the summer as they carry large numbers to/from the coast. The answer is obvious - remove some fixed seating at the saloon ends and put in flip-up seats.

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

Do fire regulations apply to rolling stock, or just premises?

Would assume both as the red green rules apply to vehicles and are designed to be intuitive.
There are some allowences i.e. fire extinguishers can be silver , this is due to lots of red route (fire evacuation routes) having red flooring)

 

[yorksrob]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - any train carriage where there are more seats facing in one direction than the other.

Seriously - who in their right mind thought that was a good idea !

 

[Goldfish62]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - any train carriage where there are more seats facing in one direction than the other.

Seriously - who in their right mind thought that was a good idea !

Merseytravel Pacer...

 

[greyman42]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - any train carriage where there are more seats facing in one direction than the other.

Seriously - who in their right mind thought that was a good idea !

People wanting to fit more seats in.

 

[yorksrob]

Merseytravel Pacer...

Indeed, but I was thinking of cross country voyagers. And don't get me started on their crummy electronic reservation system.

People wanting to fit more seats in.

But if you've got a table seat any way, why on earth put it at the end of the carriage instead of somewhere near the middle. It's just stupidity.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you're talking 125mph end vehicles, it was a requirement at one stage for safety reasons.

 

[yorksrob]

If you're talking 125mph end vehicles, it was a requirement at one stage for safety reasons.

I should have guessed.

I think the conclusion is that I can't be doing with Voyagers.

 

[py_megapixel]

I think the conclusion is that I can't be doing with Voyagers.

Can anyone, really?

 

[yorksrob]

Can anyone, really?

Fair point really.

 

[The Planner]

Interior doors that need a touch or push button to open.