Train and seat designers and specifiers are being encouraged to adopt RSSB research findings in future specifications for new rolling stock and interior overhauls.

The RSSB (formerly the Rail Safety and Standards Board) set out its recommendations in its Defining the requirements of a seat comfort selection process report - but noted that none of the seven train tested met those targets.

Following the research, RSSB created a chart showing the comfort rating for different types of journeys, with Metro requiring the least comfort and First Class and Very High Speed Trains the most.

A range of dimensional requirements was also created, to indicate whether a seat would pass on measures that form the basis of a new standard which allows comfort to be considered as an essential feature, alongside other needs such as crashworthiness and fire safety.