In-carriage CDs put travel on new track

By the end of the year rail passengers will be able to "plug in and switch off" on long boring journeys into London from the south-west. First Great Western is to introduce on-board compact disc players built into seats as part of a plan to lure customers to "club" carriages between standard and first class.

By the end of the year rail passengers will be able to "plug in and switch off" on long boring journeys into London from the south-west. First Great Western is to introduce on-board compact disc players built into seats as part of a plan to lure customers to "club" carriages between standard and first class.

Travellers in the "standard-plus" coach will be able to plug earphones into CD channels from pop to classical. Passengers will be able to use their own headphones or buy them at the buffet. Travellers on the group's north-western routes from Holyhead to Birmingham will be the first to experience the service next month.

The entertainment system on Great Western is part of an £80m investment in 70 carriages on the London-Bristol-Cardiff and Cotswold routes. They will be the first high-speed units to enter service since privatisation. The trains will be additional to the present timetable and will deliver half-hourly services to Cardiff.

A company spokesman said passengers would enjoy more leg room and "state of the art" catering facilities as part of the package.

In 2002 Virgin will introduce a similar CD system on both its west coast mainline routes between London and Glasgow and its CrossCountry network. It will be available for passengers in standard class and in the more upmarket coaches. The "Pendolino" tilting trains being introduced between London and Scotland and the "Voyager" class trains being commissioned on CrossCountry routes will be equipped with audio sockets.

Virgin plans four CD channels, one for popular music, one for "easy listening" and a third to be decided. A fourth will be plugged into radio which will opt into local stations as the train travels the country.

Virgin believes the entertainment will be especially important on the London to Glasgow route where it is trying to match the facilities provided by airlines, their main competitors.