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The new Class 378 train being introduced on parts of the London Overground network look more like underground trains, with long inward-facing bench type seats running the entire length of the carriage instead of commuter-train style seats square on to the direction of travel. Bench style seats are great, and give rise to the tube phenomenon of thousands of people looking at each other while trying to look like they are not doing so.

The idea presumably is to create a large tube-train style standing area between the benches, and the abundance of support posts and rails seems to support this. The 3 carriage train can carry 8 percent more people than the 3 carriage it is replacing.

Why don't more urban subway train systems use the bench seat arrangement? In fact, is there another subway train system in the world that does?