What is the safest position to sit on a train ?

hi2u_uk · 20 Jun 2026

Due to recent events i have been thinking about this issue . If you could select any train seat what is the best position to sit in?

I assume you dont want to sit in the last or front carriage as they could suffer greatly during a crash.

Does an airline aisle seat reduce the likelihood of injury in the event of a crash as there is less area for you to be thrown forward and if the train gets derailed onto its side you are avoiding the window ?

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Watershed · 20 Jun 2026

I would have thought you are better off facing backwards as in the event of a sudden stop (emergency brake or worse) your head will not collide with objects ahead of you.

The tables on the class 158s were cited as a contributing factor in some of the injuries in the Talerddig crash, so an airline-style seat would possibly be safer from that perspective.

It's very unlikely to be involved in such an incident though. You are probably experiencing a greater risk whilst on your way to and from the station.

Failed Unit · 20 Jun 2026

It is also difficult to say as each crash has a unique set of circumstances.

Backwards is probably best for stopping quickly.

Front or the back of the train depends on the situation.

Potters Bar & Hatfield for example were the worse places to be sat as the front of the train remained on the track. The Bedford on maybe little difference although some energy would be absorbed further away from the impact point. You would expect in most circumstances the rear of the train would be better, but as the two examples above show, not always.

I take the view that if your number is up, it is up.

Saad · 20 Jun 2026

Does an airline aisle seat reduce the likelihood of injury in the event of a crash

I would have imagined the window seat would be safer as if you sit in an aisle seat there might be a higher chance for you to go flying into another seat and possibly hit the edge, plus there is also a chance to hit another person maybe?

bramling · 20 Jun 2026

hi2u_uk said:
Due to recent events i have been thinking about this issue . If you could select any train seat what is the best position to sit in?

I assume you dont want to sit in the last or front carriage as they could suffer greatly during a crash.

Does an airline aisle seat reduce the likelihood of injury in the event of a crash as there is less area for you to be thrown forward and if the train gets derailed onto its side you are avoiding the window ?

Definitely rear facing, and probably on balance towards but not at the rear of the train.

It’s all a little academic though, as your chances of being involved in an accident are so low it really isn’t worth giving that much thought to.

As regards front or rear, on balance a greater proportion of recent accidents have tended to affect the front of the train worse, although there are exceptions - Potters Bar and Hatfield being obvious ones, there’s also Carmont where the worst affected vehicle had commenced its journey at the rear but changed as part of an unplanned reversal.

It seems that in the most recent two accidents deceleration rather than position on the train has been the bigger issue, in which case any difference in position would be fairly marginal.

In an accident where the issue is decelerations not loss of survival space, the outcome might in any case be more determined by whether you manage to foresee something occurring and position yourself in a favourable position.

TT-ONR-NRN · 20 Jun 2026

hi2u_uk said:
Due to recent events i have been thinking about this issue . If you could select any train seat what is the best position to sit in?

I assume you dont want to sit in the last or front carriage as they could suffer greatly during a crash.

Does an airline aisle seat reduce the likelihood of injury in the event of a crash as there is less area for you to be thrown forward and if the train gets derailed onto its side you are avoiding the window ?

I understand you might be asking this just out of curiosity.

If you're asking for another reason -- and that reason is because you want to sit in the safest place next time you travel:

Seriously -- I'd advise against getting yourself into paranoid habits -- such as where to sit on a train -- in the wake of this upsetting incident. It could quickly lead to obsessive compulsions that before long start restricting your ability to enjoy things like train travel and whatever comes next -- as something WILL come next. It's very tragic but ultimately you are usually very safe on British trains regardless of where you are. All the more so with the constantly improving safety regs. Unfortunately disaster strikes from time to time, but that goes for any situation in life. I could be hit by a speeding car later, someone could attack London next time I visit, you can't predict these things -- and you absolutely shouldn't build your life around fear of them happening.

hi2u_uk · 20 Jun 2026

I never thought of backwards facing as being safer from a safety perspective. I normally avoid backwards facing seats if possible

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jun 2026 ==

TT-ONR-NRN said:
I'd advise against getting yourself into paranoid habits -- such as where to sit on a train -- in the wake of this upsetting incident. It could quickly lead to obsessive compulsions that before long start restricting your ability to enjoy things like train travel and whatever comes next -- as something WILL come next. It's very tragic but ultimately you are usually very safe on British trains regardless of where you are. All the more so with the constantly improving safety regs. Unfortunately disaster strikes from time to time, but that goes for any situation in life. I could be hit by a speeding car later, someone could attack London next time I visit, you can't predict these things -- and you absolutely shouldn't build your life around fear of them happening.

I know what you mean but it occurred to me that i'm often presented with the choice of where to sit on a train and i dont really give it too much thought. If there are positions which are safer in the event of a crash then i think i want to aim to sit in those positions in future

stuartl · 20 Jun 2026

Someone who was on one of the trains in the Bedford collision is quoted on the BBC report as saying that many injuries in 1st class were caused by people hitting the edges of the tables. He also said people were injured due to seats breaking. If that's true it's a bit worrying.

Failed Unit · 20 Jun 2026

hi2u_uk said:
I never thought of backwards facing as being safer from a safety perspective. I normally avoid backwards facing seats if possible

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jun 2026 ==

My understanding is the RAF always fly crew backwards. (My friend in the Army used them a lot and said it was odd) Although that is air, if it crashes from a height your chances of survival are slim no matter which direction you face.

D365 · 20 Jun 2026

hi2u_uk said:
I know what you mean but it occurred to me that i'm often presented with the choice of where to sit on a train and i dont really give it too much thought. If there are positions which are safer in the event of a crash then i think i want to aim to sit in those positions in future

You have to consider that, because rail collisions in Britain are so few and far between, the thankfully very few serious incidents are always going to make national (or international) news.

Whereas because road traffic collisions are more-or-less a daily occurrence it’s only the very worst of incidents that make national headlines.

And again, because there have been very few mainline collisions involving modern rolling stock, it’s not possible to conclusively say that one seating arrangement is better or worse than another.

thelongestroad · 20 Jun 2026

As a member of train crew I can't help but have done some thought into some of the cabs we sit in since yesterday's events, especially on older traction.

jfollows · 20 Jun 2026

A more valid question might be the number of roads you have to cross when walking to your local station - four in my case - and that you could more significantly reduce your risk by moving house to reduce this number.
Of course, I’m not going to move house. But I’m much safer wherever I am in the train than when crossing the road.

NiceCuppa · 20 Jun 2026

TT-ONR-NRN said:
I understand you might be asking this just out of curiosity.

If you're asking for another reason -- and that reason is because you want to sit in the safest place next time you travel:

Seriously -- I'd advise against getting yourself into paranoid habits -- such as where to sit on a train -- in the wake of this upsetting incident. It could quickly lead to obsessive compulsions that before long start restricting your ability to enjoy things like train travel and whatever comes next -- as something WILL come next. It's very tragic but ultimately you are usually very safe on British trains regardless of where you are. All the more so with the constantly improving safety regs. Unfortunately disaster strikes from time to time, but that goes for any situation in life. I could be hit by a speeding car later, someone could attack London next time I visit, you can't predict these things -- and you absolutely shouldn't build your life around fear of them happening.

I agree. Feel safer on trains. The taxi ride TO the station is another matter.
Wish everyone all the best, but please keep things in perspective and enjoy your passion for rail.

Stossgebet · 20 Jun 2026

As said above, just try not to worry about it. There are too many variables. You may pick the perfect seat that keeps you safely within its space, and then a piece of luggage comes flying from the overhead rack. And by pure bad luck, your're the only one that takes 8 kilos of hardshell suitcase to the head.
i agree with the person above that thinks when your time is up, it is up. You can't plan and protect for every possibility, and certainly not without it having negative effects on mental health or quality of life.
Just be assured that in all forms of public transport, from buses to planes, no one goes to work wanting to be involved in an headline news incident.

brad465 · 20 Jun 2026

More modern train design has greatly reduced impact regardless of location. If yesterday's crash happened with Mk1-3 carriages, both trains could have finished with carriages scattered all over the place. Also, the front and rear carriages of a lot of modern high-speed stock, including IETs and Voyagers, have crumple zones and most seats being rear-facing in direction of travel. The IETs especially have a large area that is a kitchen or other section of train that is not passenger accommodation in the end carriages.

DynamicSpirit · 20 Jun 2026

brad465 said:
More modern train design has greatly reduced impact regardless of location. If yesterday's crash happened with Mk1-3 carriages, both trains could have finished with carriages scattered all over the place. Also, the front and rear carriages of a lot of modern high-speed stock, including IETs and Voyagers, have crumple zones and most seats being rear-facing in direction of travel.

How can they make most seats rear-facing? On almost all routes, the direction of travel changes every time the train reaches its terminus, so rear-facing immediately becomes front-facing.

CalderRail · 20 Jun 2026

My usual service is a Voyager. I'm always in coach D, regardless of safety considerations!

DynamicSpirit · 20 Jun 2026

Related question: I can see the logic of rear facing being less likely to see you thrown out of your seat, but how does that work for longitudinal seats? Is there any data that would indicate whether they safer or less safe, compared to front facing?

(And yes, I do appreciate that we're talking about extremely low risks, but still curious).

CalderRail · 20 Jun 2026

DynamicSpirit said:
How can they make most seats rear-facing? On almost all routes, the direction of travel changes every time the train reaches its terminus, so rear-facing immediately becomes front-facing.

I assume he means "rear-facing when that carriage is the lead".

If you look at the seating plan on a Voyager you'll notice that most of the non-table seats in coaches A and F have their back to the cab:

Statto · 20 Jun 2026

I wouldn't worry about it, it's very rare we have incidents like yesterday, & the one in Talerddig a couple of years back, UK railways are the safest in the World.

357 · 20 Jun 2026

CalderRail said:
I assume he means "rear-facing when that carriage is the lead".

If you look at the seating plan on a Voyager you'll notice that most of the non-table seats in coaches A and F have their back to the cab:

That's by design specifically for the sort of event that happened yesterday.

CalderRail · 20 Jun 2026

357 said:
That's by design specifically for the sort of event that happened yesterday.

Absolutely! I was just clarifying what the earlier post was (I think) refering to.

norbitonflyer · 20 Jun 2026

CalderRail said:
I assume he means "rear-facing when that carriage is the lead".

If you look at the seating plan on a Voyager you'll notice that most of the non-table seats in coaches A and F have their back to the cab:

Front-facing in the rear coach may help in the event of being rear-ended, as the sudden acceleration will push you into the seat, just as rear facing in the front coach will help in the case of sudden deceleration.

357 · 20 Jun 2026

CalderRail said:
Absolutely! I was just clarifying what the earlier post was (I think) refering to.

Yes, however I'm always the furthest forward in that coach and yet always seem to be facing forwards!

CalderRail · 20 Jun 2026

357 said:
Yes, however I'm always the furthest forward in that coach and yet always seem to be facing forwards!

Well there's always one

blueberry11 · 20 Jun 2026

The thing is, not every one on the train (even mainline/non-commuter ones) can get a seat, which is why trains don't have seat belts. Basically, don't overthink about the safest place on a train as it may not even be possible to get a seat during busy periods.

contrex · 20 Jun 2026

hi2u_uk said:
I never thought of backwards facing as being safer from a safety perspective.

I believe the RAF specifies backwards facing seats on its transport aircraft, including charters, for safety reasons, and other air forces too.

Magrar · 20 Jun 2026

The eyewitness accounts make it sound like there's no safe place in a collision of sufficient impact where there's no warning.

Although I guess rear facing in the aisle and not at a table in a middle would help the most. But it won't change my seating preference (forward, table, window).

Passengers have seemingly both hit their heads on seat backs, and suffered head and leg injuries due to colliding with tables. Has it been confirmed any seats actually came away from their mountings? Because that's obviously going to cause injuries too.

357 · 20 Jun 2026

Magrar said:
Has it been confirmed any seats actually came away from their mountings?

Many seat backs that were hit as passengers were thrown forward did come away from the frame completely.

Acathater · 20 Jun 2026

Watershed said:
I would have thought you are better off facing backwards as in the event of a sudden stop (emergency brake or worse) your head will not collide with objects ahead of you.

Rearward facing seats also reduce the risk of neck and back injury.
But.... they also increase the risk of luggage from overhead bins smacking you in the face

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jun 2026 ==

contrex said:
I believe the RAF specifies backwards facing seats on its transport aircraft, including charters, for safety reasons, and other air forces too.

It did, but I believe no longer so

What is the safest position to sit on a train ?

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