Latest news with #TrainoftheFuture
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
How trains could look in 2075 - from nap pods to on-board cinema screens
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. 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? More Trending 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. 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. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: The 'charming' London borough where house prices are falling fastest MORE: Lionesses trophy parade: England celebrate historic Euro 2025 victory in London MORE: England's Lionesses parade route and timings confirmed after Euro 2025 victory
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
The future of transport: LNER reveals what its trains could look like in 2075 – including pet zones, treadmill seats, and odourless foods
Delays, cancellations and overcrowding can make train travel a stressful experience for some. But that could all soon change – if the 'Train of the Future' is anything to go by. London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) predicts that within 50 years, train travel will become a 'holistic experience' that promotes passenger health and wellbeing. By 2075 passengers may be able to enjoy views out of floor–to–ceiling windows, have a snooze in a nap pod and even request a 'treadmill seat' during their journey. There could also be on–board pet zones as well as family playrooms and cinema–style entertainment. 'Smart' seats could take customer comfort to the next level, they say, with temperature and seat firmness adjustable in pre–saved preferences. Ticket barriers could be replaced with facial recognition technology, while onwards journeys could be facilitated by individual travel pods designed for platform pick–ups. One thing missing from the predictions, however, is the possible future price of a ticket. To celebrate 200 years of the modern railway, LNER asked 2,000 passengers what advancements they would most like to see in 50 years' time. Other requests include wellness carriages, self–balancing food trays, odourless food, an onboard concierge for destination recommendations and neurodivergent–friendly areas. Augmented reality windows could turn the scenery into an interactive guide, they said, overlaying history and live travel data on the views. Even getting to the train could be made easier, they predict, with smart glasses which project glowing arrows to walk you to your platform. Real–time updates could be delivered personally to passengers, ending the traditional loudspeaker station announcements. Applied futurist Tom Cheesewright, who worked with the company on their vision, 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. Real–time updated could be delivered personally to passengers, ending the traditional loudspeaker station announcements Train travel can sometimes be a stressful experience. A Brazilian tourist previously shared a picture of his 71–year–old mother–in–law who was forced to sit on the floor of a London to Edinburgh train without access to a toilet for four hours '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.' He predicts that new technologies could allow UK trains to run faster, slashing travel times. This would involve making trains more aerodynamic, using quantum computing and AI, he explained. Meanwhile 3D–printed materials would allow for trains to be lighter, stronger and stiffer, reaching high speeds with much less energy. Rachel Pope, Head of Digital Experience Strategy for the train company, said: 'LNER has always been at the forefront of railway innovation, so it makes sense that now – while celebrating the last 200 years of the modern railway – we also look forward to what may be ahead. 'From taking our beautiful views to the next level, to high–tech innovations in comfort and catering, through to continuing to drive sustainability in our sector – the possibilities shared by our futurologist are exciting.' The predictions will be brought to life with the LNER 'Train of the Future', stationed at London King's Cross from July 30 to August 1.
North Wales Live
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Futurist explains how UK trains could operate in 2075
Experts have predicted what train travel in the UK could look like in 2075. As part of the Railway 200 celebrations, a cross-industry partnership celebrating 200 years of the modern railway, LNER has predicedt what train travel could look like in fifty years. Partnering with Applied Futurist Tom Cheesewright, and asking train passengers of today what they would most like to see in 50 years' time, the predictions have been brought to life as windows into the future in the LNER 'Train of the Future', stationed at London King's Cross July 30 to August 1. Tom predicts that 2075 train carriages could be focused on maximum comfort, entertainment and wellness. Key features could include floor-to-ceiling windows with an augmented reality layer, adding scenes and gamification options. Tom predicts that new technologies could allow UK trains to go even faster. This starts with making the trains more aerodynamic, using quantum computing and AI together, which would allow for thousands of designs to be tested at the same time, rather than one after the other. New materials will be used, with super-stiff composites that can easily be produced in complex, organic shapes. The new materials combined with technologies like 3D printed metals would allow for trains to be lighter, stronger and stiffer, reaching high speeds with much less energy. Facial recognition technology might replace ticket barriers, while travellers' onward journeys could be sorted by individual travel pods designed for platform picks-ups. Each seat could adjust to the customers' microenvironment, setting the temperature and seat firmness from pre-saved preferences. There could be the option to book safe standing treadmill seats, giving travellers the chance to get their steps in on long journeys. The new Train of the Future launches at London King's Cross Station. Running for three days, to Friday August 1, it features state of the art visual depictions of what the future of train travel might bring. As part of the Railway 200 celebrations, LNER also surveyed 2,000 people across the UK on what they would like to see on trains in 50 years' time, with cinema-style onboard entertainment (36%), wellness pods (23%), and onboard nap pods (23%) topping the list. These are closely followed by pre-programmed smart seats (22%) and designated pet zones (21%). Beyond the elements adding to the in-seat experience, 21% want the trains of the future to have self-balancing food trays and family fun zones (19%) to help make journeys with kids more comfortable. Tom 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.'
