Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

• Mark, Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic

  On a U.K. Pendolino it's hit or miss whether you will get a window seat. Even if you do the off white seat backs reflect in the window glass and you can see very little outside the train from dusk to dawn. Even station names. As Mr. John Shuttleworth would say "They haven't thought it through."
  We now have Pendolinos in The Czech Republic, but they have better interiors.

• Bernard Lowe, Rochdale Lancashire, UK

  Nice thought !! wont be made in the UK!!
  Do we have any manufacturing left in the UK!!
  
  I work for a company that must be one of the last survivors, we produce fire barriers for seating applications.
  
  But most of this is sold into Europe!!!
  
  Were is the UK going?

• Steve Middleton, Burton-on-Trent, UK

  Am I missing something? No-one so far seems to have commented on the practicality of this Double Decker concept. As far as I am aware, our infrastructure is not capable of taking anything higher than existing stock - unless a dedicated line is built with higher bridges, OHLE etc. Cost prohibitive surely! As would be the cost of raising existing OHLE etc to fit this train under.
  What passengers want is a clean, spacious train that is able to run on time, shaving a few minutes off a journey time is not a major concern.

• Robin Wickenden, Wincanton, Somerset, England

  To say that this is a high-carbon solution ignores the appalling emissions of the equivalent road and air transport.
  
  I agree with the comments on the current Pendolino (and Voyager) trains - far too many passengers crammed into far too few coaches, just like the poor conditions foisted on air passengers. One improvement could be these "Pods" - at last we may get the good old COMPARTMENT back again - a crying baby disturbing perhaps only six or eight people instead of 80 or 90 as at present.
  
  I agree about the reliability and punctuality issues - and the concept that public transport is somehow exempt from normal trading standards in being allowed to charge for services that they fail to provide (or provide only incompletely) just be deeming, in their own favour, that they were somehow never contracted to provide them in the first place (charging train fares for bus travel, etc.) no other sector of day-to-day business gets away with this kind of behaviour and this is part of the problem of people just getting in their cars.
  
  Finally, a major deterrent to people travelling by rail is the need to change trains (at the mercy of unreliable connections), the need to stagger about with often large amounts of luggage; modern trains and the present railway system simply fail to address this in anything more than a token gesture at all, and the fact that trains stop at stations that they do not want. These are the areas that need the research and development work.

• BWG, Berkhamsted

  Agree with the comments about the Pendolino interior. Goodness knows why anyone would consider that as anything other than poor. Even compared to the interior design of the 20 year old Eurostar trains it is dreadful.

• Rob, Derby, UK

  Interesting concept. but that's all it is.
  
  It's OK Andy, Paul Priestman did not design the Pendillino. He just designed the way it looks. There is actually a bit more to it than that. The class 390 is narrow because it tilts, the safety people were worried about collisions.
  
  "come on British Manufacturers now take up the reins." says Simon.
  Why the plural? there is only one. If someone pays us to design and build a train we will for HS2 we will. But like most people, we don't work for free.
  
  
  
  

• Mike Breslin, Liverpool, UK

  Nice design but as the train would undoubtedly be built outside the UK - probably in China - it could not really be classed as a British Icon, in the same vein as the Spitfire or Routemaster bus.

• K Aizlewood, Kenilworth, uk

  So the “Concorde of the rails” - well, certainly the HS2 will burn energy like no other! The business case produced by HS2 Ltd does not include an environmental assessment, however, trains running at 300kph emit 60% more CO2 that conventional trains. And HS2 is specified at 400kph. So the ultra fast HS2 model is certainly not a green solution.
  And like Concorde it will certainly burn taxpayer money: Phase 1 alone, connecting Birmingham and London, is already estimated at £25,500,000,000, with no benefit for 16 years; HS2 costs are projected to be over 10 times the cost per mile of the French network. So neither the private sector - nor French government - will touch this with a barge pole!
  

• Nick Hollinghurst, Tring, England

  Train travel is more expensive than air travel - partly caused by air's untaxed fuel. Rail's advantages are city centre to city centre delivery, a lower carbon footprint and either a relaxing or a productive in-journey environment to taste. The choice for rail is inhibited by cost, unreliability and lack of punctuality. The business traveller has booked a slot of the day which, with planning can be put to productive use - if s/he can rely on the service. The rail industry should concentrate on reliability and punctuality rather than continue its obsession with speed. Besides, if you drive trains too fast the industry loses its environmental advantage.

• Jeremy Acklam, London, UK

  This is yet another 'APT' - style non-starter - are there any UK train manufacturers left currently building to the necessary European High Speed Standards? HS2 would benefit from having trains which are able to travel to the centre of cities like TGV and ICE do, on low-speed lines with the high-speed section in the middle, rather than have a specialist train which leaves you miles from the city with the result that you have a longer journey than by conventional services. Therefore, what is required is more like the Javelin wth a longer-disctance interior rather than this.

• paul, cumbria, UK

  Just buy TGV or ICE instead! Complete waste of time, effort and money to design a bespoke British solution.

• royburnley, bradford, west yorkshire

  what a load of rubbish
  the good old intercity 125 & 225s are still very good trains
  even today

• Mike, London, UK

  The Pendelino is probably the worst train Iever to hit Britain's rails. The interior is like a cross between a tube train and a freight aircraft. A third of the seats have no window view, the windows themselves are pathetically small, luggage space is a joke, standard class passengers are treated litle better than cattle. Virgin fares are extortionate. We do NOT want a new aircraft on rails, we wantt a TRAIN for turn-up-and-go passengers.

• Llion Wynne Jones, aberdare

  Looks great, wonder what the drivers cab looks like, thats the best office. They realy do look impressive and lest hope that the goverment will build HS2

• David Spencer, Bolton, Lancashire, UK

  The Pendelino is a reliable electric train but has a lousy passenger environment. Mr Priestman should beware not to be associated with the Pendelino train too much. The cabin design stinks.
  
  The current Chinese high speed trains in operation between Shanghai and Nanking are an example of all that we need in the UK; plenty of legroom, seats that align with windows and a high standard of comfort. This is my personal experience of working in China.
  
  There is an opportunity to use Mr Priestmans expertise with Sifang of course but all we need in the UK is a new build of 1500 Mk 3 or 4 carriages that cost next to nothing if made in China and modified to be suitable for 350 MPH. Then we would also solve the IEP Camel class debacle.

• simon, wolves, england

  well done to Paul Priestman for a stunning design, i just hope that he does not use the same interior designer as he did on the Pendolino, come on British Manufacturers now take up the reins.

• Joel Kosminsky, London, Britain

  A train has got to look good and feel good; timetabling and fares must be as attractive. Not a budget airline operation but accessible in every sense. Beware 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' syndrome - great idea, poor execution, silly result (it's an attraction now but at a cost - had it been built right, it could have been demolished years ago...)

• andy ganley, cheam, england

  So Paul Priestman designed the Pendolino? says it all really! sitting in the
  stifling confines of a coach is like stitting in a Virgin Airliner,and a not very big one at that,give me a TGV or ICC anyday.