Scientist cracks code to make rail commutes more relaxing

Whether it’s the 08:06 to London Waterloo or a weekend trip to the countryside, scientists have cracked the code of what makes a zen train commute. Forget podcasts and music, bird song and waterfalls are the key according to new research released today.

The preliminary study, designed and analysed by Professor Charles Spence, Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, measured the impact of listening to nature soundscapes on passengers’ levels of stress and relaxation when travelling by train

During the experiment, undertaken on South Western Railway (SWR) trains, passengers listened to a selection of nature sounds, including bird song, flowing rivers and rainfall, as well as their regular preferred audio source, such as music or a podcast. These scenarios were also tested against no audio input.

Ryan spoke to Professor Charles Spence from University of Oxford.