Double decker trains to ease overcrowding on busy lines

The Aeroliner 3000, with its lower deck built nearer the track, could be running by 2022
The Aeroliner 3000, with its lower deck built nearer the track, could be running by 2022

Double-decker trains could be introduced on some of the UK’s busiest railway lines under new proposals to ease overcrowding.

The trains are already used in other parts of Europe but have been ruled out in Britain in the past because of the low bridges and tunnels on UK lines. Designers are now working on proposals that would involve train compartments being lowered towards the tracks to create the height needed to accommodate two-deck carriages.

The interior of the carriage would be overhauled, with aisles on both decks positioned to the side rather than up the middle, to create extra space.

The project, led by the Swiss architect Andreas Vogler, is among three at an advanced stage as part of a £3.5 million project to improve