‘That’s a dog kennel’: London Tube’s ‘calm space’ in station met with public ridicule and confusion

London (CNN) — A pilot project trialing a “calm space” for neurodivergent subway travelers in London has been met with bemusement — and some gentle ridicule — from the public, due to the size, design and location of the new refuge.

The initiative by subway and bus authority Transport for London (TFL) aims to support neurodivergent travelers — including the more than one in 100 people in the UK on the autism spectrum, many of whom face intense sensory challenges from loud noises and crowded spaces.

In the trial, a small, open-fronted pod manufactured by US firm NOOK has been placed at Ealing Broadway Tube station in west London.

The idea is to “support customers who may find travelling overwhelming and need a quiet space to pause, regulate and recover before continuing their journey,” TFL said in a statement published Friday.

The trial is being run in partnership with autism charity Autistica, it said.

TFL also posted about the Ealing Broadway trial on Facebook, where many users praised the aim of the initiative — but questioned its execution.

“From someone that needs it…It doesn’t look like a calm space to me (the construction nor the location),” wrote one Facebook user. “But appreciate the thought.”

Others questioned the size of the space, with multiple comments likening it to a “dog kennel.”

“It looks like a calm space for ants,” wrote one commenter.

Another criticized the choice of location.

“If it’s supposed to be a ‘calm’ place, then it’s at the wrong location at the top of the stairs to the platforms and near the lifts,” she wrote.

Another commenter offered constructive criticism about the design.

“As someone who’s autistic, that needs a door,” she wrote.

“You’re literally exposed, it’s just a bench with a roof,” she added. “Good effort but maybe turn it the other way so people won’t be like animals in a zoo and gawped at.”

Other comments included one claiming that “the calm space is basically a cupboard;” another that questioned whether it was designed for the diminutive Hobbit people from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy books; and one person who said they could “just picture teenagers in there vaping or a drunk person asleep!”

The pod will remain in place for at least four weeks, said TFL, which added that another calm space will be trialed at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden for a period of eight weeks.

CNN has reached out to TFL for further comment.

Autistica offered a statement from its senior research manager, Michelle Newman, stressing the importance of accessible transport. “As we push for neuroinclusive spaces in education, healthcare, and employment, we’re reminded that accessibility must start with the journey to these places,” she said.

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