The idea of “home from home” travel got me thinking about how people view and experience travel and the question is always what kind of travel. If we discount for a moment short distance bus, tram and train commutes and focus on the 1 hour plus bracket then the idea of home from home takes a new twist. It isn’t so much about home from home as multi-tasking. Ask yourself do I like being on this train etc. for x number of hours a day? What would I rather be doing? What do I need to do when my journey ends? Then imagine the possibilities. I started thinking small with the idea of ordering my daily shopping on the train and picking it up at the station when I arrive. This could easily work with the big cities who often have a small convenience size supermarket on concourse, but what else could you do on board. What about an on-train hairdresser or beauty parlour to prepare you for the day ahead or the on-train book club, language class or knitting circle to fill the journey home. These may seem a bit far-fetched but how difficult would it be to set up on a major commuter train? Something that would require a bit more thought is the on train gym. Imagine getting an extra hour in bed or at home in the evening because you did your work-out on the way to or from work!

This idea isn’t new, appearing in a Virgin press release on April 1^st last year, the ‘Fitness coach’ may however be just have been an April fools spoof. In reality though gyms and beauty salons including massage do exist but so far only at the luxury charter end of rail travel.

Maybe in the future these ideas will be as common place as the buffet car is today who knows, but one thing is certain, as our time becomes more pressured we become more eager to get the most out of it and for many a more constructive use of the commute could be the key.

Jason Holmes, Head of Design Textiles – Forbo Flooring Systems