VISITORS TO Railtex had the opportunity to try out new interior layouts for trains designed with the aim of maximising capacity.
PriestmanGoode’s Horizon concept incorporates pairs of perch seats, slightly offset from each other to give a good amount of shoulder room. Each pair of seats comes with a footrest, tray table, USB point and coat hook. The concept could enable a 20-30% increase in seating capacity on board trains.
Geared towards providing space for cargo, 42 Technology showcased its ‘adaptable carriage’ system which allows seats and tables to be automatically stowed to create space for small packages and other cargo that would otherwise go by road. Other innovations are a forward-folding seat that enables rubbish to be tipped onto the floor for easier cleaning and an innovative sliding mechanism to help lock seats in position. Reconfiguration is said to take under three minutes to complete, and the company says the concept is now ready for trials.
