Best And Worst Train Interior Lighting

[a good off]

I'm typing this from a first class FGW HST carriage. The lighting has been reduced but it is still burning my retinas out!!

 

[shaun]

Really dislike the Pendy lights, make the interior look dark and depressing. Perhaps it wouldn't make me feel so down when i boarded them if the lights were better!

FGW HST interior lights are fine now, they used to be too bright when they first came out but don't bother me at all now half of them are usually switched off.

 

[Class 33]

Another thumbs down for the FGW HSTs here. The brightness coupled with the tinted film on the windows means that you have a permanent reflection in view, and to me, window-gazing is one of the greatest pleasures of a journey down to Cornwall...

I dislike bright lights in general, though.

Yes I hate the FGW HST lighting too. Absolutely dreadful, FAR too bright. Window gazing on any train journey for me is a pleasure. But at night on FGW HST's(and other trains) it is practically impossible. Can't see a thing apart from reflections of yourself and other people in the carriage!!

I also dislike bright lights in general. In train carriages, shopping centres, offices, etc. There's no need for such ultra bright lighting.

I think that at least the long distance express/limited stop late evening services should have much dimmer carriage lighting, with flourescent floor lighting for people to be able to walk safely through the aisle. With optional reading lights above seats. This would be helpful for people who wish to either sleep or people who dislike such bright lighting and wish to window gaze.

Allthough I'm more of a train person, the one advantage of coach travel is that at night the interior lighting is turned off(with optional reading lights above and flourescent floor lighting) for those people who wish to relax and sleep during the journey! A shame this is not possible on train journeys in this country.

By the way, on sleeper services in this country in the seating carriages is the carriage lighting on as usual throughout the journey or is it dimmed/turned off?

 

[mralexn]

Yes I hate the FGW HST lighting too. Absolutely dreadful, FAR too bright. Window gazing on any train journey for me is a pleasure. But at night on FGW HST's(and other trains) it is practically impossible. Can't see a thing apart from reflections of yourself and other people in the carriage!!

I also dislike bright lights in general. In train carriages, shopping centres, offices, etc. There's no need for such ultra bright lighting.

I think that at least the long distance express/limited stop late evening services should have much dimmer carriage lighting, with flourescent floor lighting for people to be able to walk safely through the aisle. With optional reading lights above seats. This would be helpful for people who wish to either sleep or people who dislike such bright lighting and wish to window gaze.

Allthough I'm more of a train person, the one advantage of coach travel is that at night the interior lighting is turned off(with optional reading lights above and flourescent floor lighting) for those people who wish to relax and sleep during the journey! A shame this is not possible on train journeys in this country.

By the way, on sleeper services in this country in the seating carriages is the carriage lighting on as usual throughout the journey or is it dimmed/turned off?

on the night riviera, it is dimmed very heavily, about 4 out of 20 of the carriage lights are on, and you have optional reading lights above your head.
thats the one thing i LOVE about that train, its so cosy, and you can see the world go by at night time! really is an awesome train

 

[Terrafire]

Allthough I'm more of a train person, the one advantage of coach travel is that at night the interior lighting is turned off(with optional reading lights above and flourescent floor lighting) for those people who wish to relax and sleep during the journey! A shame this is not possible on train journeys in this country.

Yes, intended to post exactly the same thing before I read your post. I'd go so far as to say I prefer coaches for travel when it's dark. I remember an awful journey coming off the boat at Holyhead, waiting four hours for the 4:30am-ish ATW train and naively looking forward to snoozing on there. Of course, it was lit up like a football field.

 

[TheJRB]

I like the lighting on the 395s although it's perhaps not quite as natural as on the Electrostars.

 

[lookapigeon]

Can't stand any of the lighting on SWT Desiros. Far too harsh and bright, especially if you're travelling late at night, I would rather have it a little dimmer so it wouldn't give me a headache and screw around with my senses, plus it would actually allow you to see the outside a bit more. Once they'd forgotten to switch all the lights on in the carriage and only alternate ones were lit, it was a good journey, enough ambient light in the carriage to not make it intrusive.

The trains on the lines to Kent from Waterloo East have it just right, bright enough to read the paper but dimmed/diffused enough to not feel like you're on a football field in the middle of the night with the floods on. Plus they've got the little spots above the seats if you're in need of more light.

I've never understood the ultra bright lighting policies either. Always prefer it dimmed or reflected off a ceiling to generate a softer light.

 

[thameslink2000]

The lighting on Southern's 442s is quite pleasant. Provides a relaxing atmosphere.

 

[trentside]

There are lots of trains I feel the lighting is too bright on.

I used a 390 for the first time a few days ago, and found the interior lighting to be quite pleasant - really wasn't too bright or harsh.

The lighting on the Mallard refurbished MK3/4s isn't too bad, it's bright but it doesn't feel cold, like the FGW sets.

 

[stut]

As for the best, I'd vote for the NXEA Mk3s. The general lighting is neither one nor the other, but it seems to have a habit of having a whole carriage fail impressively regularly on the rare occasions I travel on that route. Which is great, because not only do you get to see out when it's getting dark, you also get an almost empty carriage.

 

[PFX]

The lighting on the old GNER HSTs (1st) used to be fairly muted which was helped by the decor, which in turn helped reduce my levels of mania on Embra - London jaunts.

NIR CAF3000s seem to hit a fairly balanced medium with a mix of tubes and spots. This may be helped by the cavernous interior being on the slightly larger loading guage.

As for LEDs being too harsh, it is now possible to get quite warm LED spots which more or less match the colour of an incandescant bulb.

In fairly recent times of smoking though, I recall seeing where cleaners would have scrubbed the ceilings of 150s and just how yellow everything got in the nooks and crannies they couldn't reach. I'd imagine this would have contributed to the soft tar yellow glow these units used to have.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

This talk about watching out of the window at night reminds me I have often wondered.... if you had enough money to charter your own train just for your own use, would you be allowed to have the carriage you were sitting in blacked out at night?

 

[moonrakerz]

Everyone (me included) seems to agree that FGW's HSTs are too brightly lit; perhaps they could move some of the lights to their 158s on the Cardiff/Portsmouth run - talk about gloomy inside !!!

 

[gnolife]

*Braces himself*
Former Merseytravel branded pacers for best - I had a really good sleep on one going through Hope Valley on the last stopper of the night from Sheffield. *and ducks for cover*

For worst, having never experienced a FGW HST, would have to be ATW's silver livery 158s - I find them to be far to bright inside

 

[Beveridges]

I prefer travelling when the lights have failed. At least you can see outside. When the lights are on at night time its boring you cant see anything out the window just the reflection.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I prefer travelling when the lights have failed. At least you can see outside. When the lights are on at night time its boring you cant see anything out the window just the reflection.

I agree 100%.

 

[ValleyLines142]

For me, the lights on Arriva's 150s aren't great as they are tubed and attract wasps, which is bad!! I don't get this on a Pacer as they are covered by a panel. Wasps are awful :/

I prefer travelling when the lights have failed. At least you can see outside. When the lights are on at night time its boring you cant see anything out the window just the reflection.

I agree too. I had perfect evidence of this on 1B91 (2115 London Paddington to Neath) on Thursday! Had to look at my somewhat blotchy face as a result of travelling from Paris on the Eurostar and on the Underground, didn't look my best so looking out of the window and looking at my hideous reflection didn't do it for me! (I'd also had a row with a member of London Underground staff too!). But anyway this is digressing.


I'd say the best lights are on a 390, especially the lamps in First Class!!

 

[Woody]

The lighting in FGW HSTs in First Class is currently being changed. Now far more similar to the lighting in the HSTs before refurbishment. If you see a set in a dark the difference between Standard lighting and the new First Class lighting is very noticeable.

I wish FGW would do the standard class HST coaches as well as I have always hated those cold white tubes.Ok for operating theatres and interrogating prisoners but not definately not trains.The newly fitted first class FGW HST coaches are a much more appropriate soft pink rather than the overbright cold white tubes fitted during the last refurbishment.