Carriages with compartments are one of the reasons I prefer travelling by train over other forms of transportation - they're basically an implementation of the

Carriages with compartments are one of the reasons I prefer travelling by train over other forms of transportation - they're basically an implementation of the travelling room concept, albeit non-private. You usually have to share the compartment with up to 5 other travellers, but a handful of people in a small room tend to be much quieter (and more friendly) than dozens in an open plan carriage. Sadly, compartments are increasingly rare nowadays, even in first class. I assume they're less space efficient in terms of passengers/m². Of course, if you can afford it, you can get one like this... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Royal_Train http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Royal_Train