Why do you not get a seat on a train when you buy a ticket and also should they supply seatbelts.?

Question

After all you have to wear them in a car or aircraft and in view of the increase in speed of trains is it not safer in case of accident.

I have in my past carreer attended all sorts of incidents but rail crashes are horrific the same as road or air crashes.

Answer 1

A train ticket buys you the right to travel. Unless you also book a seat, there is no right to be carried on a particular train.

I agree that seat belts might reduce accidents on trains, but few people would want to wear them. If they were made compulsory, it would be difficult to enforce.

Answer 2

Your ticket allows you to be conveyed from one point on the neywork to another point in the appropriate class. Unless you have a specific seat reservation which is paid for in advance then you are not entitled to a seat.
Seat belts have been looked at by HMRI and the new RSSB and deemed impossible to fit and enforce. The nature of the Industry short trips, quick stops at stations and weight of passengers would render the idea non workable. For instance, if you said everyone was to wear a seat belt, there would be no standing passengers, therefore all seats would have to be prebooked, no walk on walk off passengers, all stations would have to become barrier protected and manned for the full length of service for that day (in a number of cases 24hrs), the train would have to be checked before departure at each station by a member of rail staff to ensure each passenger was wearing their belt, no passenger would be allowed to stand or move around until the train came to a halt at the station, then the belts could be removed and they could get off the train before people where allowed to board to take over that seat. How long do you think this would take? Also could you imagine the outcry, especially in the morning and afternoon peak times in the south east and larger cities where numerous trains are overfilled of the normal capacity. The system can not cope with extra rolling stock on most of the mainlines, numerous stations can only cope with a 4 car train and well over 75% of the stations are unmanned or only manned by a ticket clerk.
Thanks but no thanks for that suggestion!

Answer 3

I'm afraid seat belts would be of zero value for protection in the event of a train wreck or derailment.

Aircraft meeting the ground suddenly, or road vehicles hitting a brick wall, tree, etc., means instant deceleration with high G forces. Here seat belts can and do save lives. But they're of little value if the seat you are strapped into is in many small fragments, along with the passenger.

Trains take longer to stop, even in a derailment. The destruction that occurs when trains meet when they shouldn't, or leave the tracks at high speed, is not going to be helped by seat belts.

Answer 4

I cant add anything to the seat issue but i can add my two cents worth to the seat belt part.
First off, for passenger mile trains are a very safe way to travel, but you are right, when there is an accident it is horrific.
But given the type of destruction when a train car derails, i dont know if a seat belt would be of any value.
It is important in aircraft not so much for crash protection as for unexpected turbulence which is not an issue in train travel.
In automobiles, there are very fast starts and stops which doesnt really happen in rail travel.
In short, I dont see it as being very enforcable, or helpful.
Perhaps as an option for people to use for their own peice of mind would be a good solution but I dont see mandatory seat belt use happening any time soon.

Answer 5

'Walk up' tickets work on the idea that they do not tie you to a specific train and therefore there is no automatic seat reservation. There are many types of ticket which include a reservation and thus guarentee a seat at no extra cost but you then lose the flexibility of being able to change your plans.

Seat belts may sound like a good idea but it simply would not work in practice, when you are on a plane the cabin crew make a point of checking each person is wearing their seatbelt for take off, landing and during turbulence.....such a policy would be impossible on trains because they are so frequently stopping.

Answer 6

On the large majority of long haul train journeys in the UK, a seat reservation is available free of charge when booking. This,in theory, ensures that you get a seat. However, if you read the terms and conditions of ALL train companies, you will find that their contract with you is simply to transport you from a to b. You are not guaranteed a seat, and nothing in the contract requires the train company to ensure you are seated. Seatbelts... maybe... would seem to make some sort of sense...

Answer 7

It is correct that the majority of bookings on UK trains also include a free reserved seat - if the system works. As to seatbelts look at :- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4542952.stm