Comfort is one of the SNCF's 10 key research areas, and various innovations are being introduced to meet train passengers' expectations.

Comfort is one of the reasons why passengers choose the train. Researchers assess passenger perceptions to identify what makes for a sense of comfort so that they can work later on the most important physical aspects in the lab.

Seats are a key factor of comfort on board trains and have been the object of extensive research so that they provide comfort for all, whatever your shape or size. Smart seats are still for the future, but they are an exciting concept. They will be fitted with NFC contactless technologies and recognize passengers via their ticket loaded onto their mobile phone. Touch screens will display a personal welcome message and give access to a whole range of services - get real-time geolocation information and Internet access, order your on-board meal or a taxi on arrival, take up a car sharing offer from a customer travelling on the same train, etc.

On-board sound and lighting can be changed depending on passenger requirements. Perceptions of light sources are being studied under various intensity levels and colours to provide quality lighting for whatever passengers want to do at their seat (read, work on a computer, sleep). For sound, work is focusing on better understanding passenger perceptions of acoustic indicators used in the design of TGV coaches.

New generation toilets dreamed up by SNCF researchers won a star at the Prix de l'Observeur du Design design prize and have been approved by 94% of customers that tested them. They have been designed using customer research and taking into account cleaning requirements. Their stripped-down colourful and warm design will improve cleanliness and comfort on-board future TGVs.

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