Luggage space on 390's

[jon0844]

Ah, that explains the announcements I heard when I had the misfortune to have to make quite a few long-distance journeys on cross-country "please place you luggage in the overhead racks or under your seat" - I remember thinking at the time that this wasn't great as putting luggage under your own seat encroached into legroom of the person behind, but can see why you wouldn't always have a seat in front.

I guess that is an issue, but on FGW I think they have those kick down foot rests like many coaches have? Or did I just imagine that?

If there's some form of barrier under the seat to stop a bag being pushed right back, you could have a carry-on bag under your seat and perhaps sticking out a bit in front (but that's in your space and your feet would be further forward anyway). It also means your bag is easier to get to.

There's something to be said for people with large bags to consider having, say, two smaller bags that can be stacked on top of each other securely when dragged.. then you could put one in the overhead luggage rack, one under the seat, or possibly even both overhead.

When negotiating stairs (we still have a long way to go before the rail network is step free) you can separate the bags to carry them easier than a large bag.

I speak as someone who just came back from Sweden with a huge bag (weighing just over 25Kg and carrying an orange 'heavy' tag!) and wish I'd taken my own advice given above!

 

[rebmcr]

The overhead luggage rack on 390s is particularly thin, with only very small bags and cases fitting, which doesn't help things either. If they installed them a few inches lower, maybe more people would be able to use them for smaller bags, thus freeing up space in the larger luggage racks?

I don't know about that, I'm 5'11" and they're already level with my ears when standing up straight!

 

[transmanche]

The overhead luggage rack on 390s is particularly thin, with only very small bags and cases fitting, which doesn't help things either.

I mentioned my case in another thread. It's a 'cabin-friendly' hard shell case, 55cm x 38cm x 23cm, has a 36L capacity and fits nicely in the overhead rack on a 390. (In fact I think the only train where it won't fit in the overhead rack is a 175.)

Lots of people have 'cabin-friendly' luggage today - as its the only way to be able to fly at a reasonable price! As a comparison, BA and easyJet allow carry-on bags up to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm in size - Ryanair, 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.

 

[Mikey C]

I mentioned my case in another thread. It's a 'cabin-friendly' hard shell case, 55cm x 38cm x 23cm, has a 36L capacity and fits nicely in the overhead rack on a 390. (In fact I think the only train where it won't fit in the overhead rack is a 175.)

Lots of people have 'cabin-friendly' luggage today - as its the only way to be able to fly at a reasonable price! As a comparison, BA and easyJet allow carry-on bags up to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm in size - Ryanair, 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.

On trains there is no size limit like there is on planes, therefore most luggage being carried isn't airline carry-on sized. Indeed that's one of the attractions.

On a recent trip to Italy, you can really see the difference the European gauge makes. On their Pendolino, the luggage racks above the seats were large enough to fit my holdall.

 

[northwichcat]

On trains there is no size limit like there is on planes, therefore most luggage being carried isn't airline carry-on sized. Indeed that's one of the attractions.

Incorrect. There is a maximum luggage allowance (see page 22 of NRCoC.) If you go over that then the TOC can charge you extra - just like an airline!

 

[transmanche]

On trains there is no size limit like there is on planes, therefore most luggage being carried isn't airline carry-on sized. Indeed that's one of the attractions.

I didn't suggest there was a size limit.

But market forces being what they are, luggage manufacturers make cases that are designed to be 'cabin friendly'. Hence lots of people do have luggage that is in 'cabin friendly' sizes. 'Cabin friendly' cases should fit in the overhead luggage racks. Bigger (and heavier) 'hold' cases go on other luggage racks.

So IME 'cabin friendly' luggage does fit in the overhead on a 390 - and also IME a lot of people don't actually try. They just assume the overhead racks are for briefcases, etc only and their luggage won't fit.

 

[northwichcat]

Lots of people have 'cabin-friendly' luggage today - as its the only way to be able to fly at a reasonable price! As a comparison, BA and easyJet allow carry-on bags up to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm in size - Ryanair, 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.

From my experience it only seems to be a small percentage of passengers that don't go to baggage reclaim after alighting a budget airline flight. Although, sometimes with families travelling together there can be something like 4 passengers and 2 items of checked in baggage.

Remember with the liquid ban on cabin baggage you have to either get miniature versions of things like suncream, deodrant etc. or buy them at the airport (or just after you arrive) and throw them away before your return flight. Both of which incur more cost than buying a regular sized item before you go and being able to take back anything unused with you.

 

[jon0844]

Isn't the liquids thing going to be relaxed in the future?

 

[Mikey C]

Incorrect. There is a maximum luggage allowance (see page 22 of NRCoC.) If you go over that then the TOC can charge you extra - just like an airline!

Has this EVER happened?

 

[trainophile]

It's really spooky finding this thread, as yesterday I was on a quite crowded Virgin Super Voyager (eta Class 221, Google tells me) and tried to start a thread asking what the etiquette was about stowing a bag under a seat, i.e. whether it should go under your own or the one in front.

I was quite relieved that it wouldn't post, as I subsequently found out that there is a bar underneath the airline seats that would have prevented me putting my bag under my own, so I had to put it under the one in front anyway, but this didn't encroach on the occupant's foot space as their seat also had a bar beneath it. It's more convenient that way, enabling easy access for things needed on the journey.

(I'd already used my share of the overhead rack for my trolley case, so just wanted to stow my canvass holdall rather than have it on my lap the whole time.)

The table seats across the aisle didn't have such "luxury", and had to cram it overhead or around their feet as best they could.

 

[TEW]

Most long-distance travel I do is on East Coast, and most of this is during the week when there's not much demand for luggage space. Around Christmas and Easter, there are staff on the platform at King's Cross taking luggage from those who're going as far as Edinburgh - this takes about half of the luggage out of the passenger coaches, without the staff having to faff around at intermediate stations. Around Bank Holidays, and at weekends, they don't normally do this - it can be challenging to fit your luggage in the rack, but it is still generally doable.

FGW have a similar system on West of England trains in the summer. Luggage for Exeter and Plymouth is loaded into cages and locked in the rear power car then unloaded at the destination. At Plymouth and Exeter there are extra staff on hand to organise it and they are on platforms prior to trains arriving, taking large items of luggage and placing them in the cages. It generally works very well as it leaves the onboard space for passengers to/from Cornwall and the luggage is kept secure throughout the journey.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

For Intercity trains, I like the sound of bag storage in the middle of a carriage to aid boarding time (not holding people up).

They did used to do that on Mk2 and Mk3 fleets, particularly VWC and VXC, but it did cause other problems in turn - people trying to drag enormous cases through the whole carriage, sometimes getting completely stuck ( particularly where the seat rows on opposite sides of the aisle were not aligned with each other ) and, when the racks were full, cases and large bags being simply left on the floor in the aisle...

 

[LexyBoy]

Luggage racks are indeed woefully inadequate on 390s - this was my second impression on boarding one for the first time (after "cor it's a bit cramped in here"). Maybe it's not so bad in the peaks but off-peak with a lot of leisure travellers there just isn't room. A couple of decent-sized (not absurdly vast) bits of luggage will pretty much fill the racks, which seem poorly designed to use the space - almost like an afterthought. Coupled with tiny overhead racks, problems are inevitable.

Contrast FGW's Mk3s, also running to popular holiday destinations, which rarely end up with luggage in the gangways. Nice big racks at the ends of the carriages plus roomy overhead racks. (BTW to answer Mikey C's question - FGW do charge £5 for surfboards!)

 

[island]

Isn't the liquids thing going to be relaxed in the future?

They've been saying it would for a good few years now.

I think the luggage storage problem is peculiar to a small number of types of stock, including the class 390. The tilt means that the carriages are that bit smaller. The overhead racks are, as mentioned, tiny, and the preponderance of airline style seats in standard class means that storage space between back-to-back seats is rare. There is a luggage rack half way through each coach as well as at the end, but these are badly laid out with obstructions to getting luggage in or out.

There are ancillary issues caused by passengers putting small items in the racks that could go overhead, or leaving stuff in the vestibules.

However, even the Pendolino is superior for luggage to class 465/0s which have space for a mere two or three cases per carriage to be properly stowed (between back-to-back seats in the centre of each carriage).

 

[trainophile]

I'm always bemused by the signs on LM trains that say anything "heavy" should not be put on the overhead racks. They don't specify how heavy is heavy, but presumably any items of luggage small enough to fit up there aren't going to bring the thing crashing down?

 

[edwin_m]

The concern is probably more that the person might lose control while lifting the bag up or down and drop it on someone else.