Eurostar train rides to Paris now feature mood-altering playlists targeted at stressed business travellers

pulse

May 16, 2017 8:48 AM

The five playlists each have a different goal with a certain passenger in mind.

Mood-altering music now comes with your croissant when you ride the Eurostar.

Whether you're travelling by train or plane, the rush of getting to your destination on time or lugging around suitcases can make the whole experience stressful — especially if you have a meeting to get to.

Eurostar has partnered with Sony to trial a new on-board "Sound Menu" curated for use with its 1000X noise cancelling headphones. The playlists were created with the aim of helping travellers relax, unwind, get energised, or focus on work throughout their journey, following research from the partners which showed that 47% of Brits believe music helps to lift their mood.

Alexandra Lamount, a senior lecturer in music psychology at Keele University, looked at studies on music and mood regulation to recommend five playlists designed to "evoke specific emotions."

The five playlists each have a different goal with a certain passenger — and the fact that the average business traveller spends four hours a week commuting on top of a 42.9 hour working week — in mind:

A menu of specific sounds like ringing bells or cats purring, which have been proven to alter your emotions, will also be available.

The "Sound Menu" launches on Eurostar's e320 and e300 trains from April 27 for one month, although the partners say the service could become permanent if it has a positive reception.

The lists, which can be accessed through Eurostar's on-board entertainment platform, are optimised for Sony’s MDR-1000X noise-cancelling headphones, after 39% of those surveyed named noise made by other travellers as one of the biggest stress factors when travelling. Almost a third (27%) also said they find it impossible to relax on a journey.

"Creating an 'auditory bubble' when travelling, such as through the use of noise cancellation technology, can allow passengers to get more from their journey, helps people block out environmental noise and allows them to focus on the moment or the task at hand," said Lamount.

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