Not sure why it's Network Rail who have chosen to stick its head above the parapet on this as they've hardly been the ones that have contributed to the issue. If we take GWR's restriction of 'No item of accompanied luggage with any dimension greater than 90cm' that's my ordinary travel rucksack out of the window as well as the otherwise very portable unnamed musical instrument of choice. This also brings to mind past rail travel with a 5' 5" paddle boat hook, the coracle, a 12 foot pair of oars (though not all at the one time) but that's me rather than the more general population.

GWR's current bête noire must be the accompanied flight suitcases that make their way through their rail network like antelope corpses through an anaconda. The DfT having happily specc'd a train interior intended for the morning commuter run inbound from Reading - conveniently overlooking that the trains would also serve everywhere from Penzance to Pembroke, the result is a situation of frequent low level (and not so low level) conflict.

One solution would be dedicated luggage space, which brings the shackles of additional staff resources needed, extended (booked and in the timetable) station stops for the resultant admin. Links below are NR's Bluesky post and their linked media release. But perhaps a slightly more flexible interior space would have greatly helped with this and also provided space for children to travel in their wheeled containers rather than everyone facing the disruption arising from their forced removal from said containers when they're taken aboard a train.

(It goes without saying that the people responsible for the cycle space on the IEPs will be looking forward to a very interesting conversation at the pearly gates...)

Mark

https://bsky.app/profile/networkrail.bsky.social/post/3mrub5x7yej2d

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/plan-ahead-and-pack-smart-as-millions-take-to-the-rails-this-summer