Commuter trains in Sydney (where the poster & I are both from) are double-decker where most people sit (except when it gets crowded). If his commute was anything like mine I get on when there's still plenty of seats next to a window and I can get out my laptop, pop in some headphones and get 45-50 minutes of solid hacking done without interruption.
i imagine the train ride would be full of interrupts, maybe you could convince me otherwise about your commute system