The research paper published by IJSER journal is about Research relating to New Passenger Train Interiors for 2020 and beyond, in Partnership with Government, Industry and Academia 1
ISSN 2229-5518
Research relating to New Passenger Train Interiors for 2020 and beyond, in Partnership with Government, Industry and Academia
John Wood FCSD NDD
Senior Lecturer in Design The University of Northampton John.wood@northampton.ac.uk
Jonathan Findlay BA Hons The University of Northampton jonathan.findlay@gmail.com
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ROM the outset it was determined that the project would be based on proactive research and design methodology. The initially brief was to establish a design led innovative
scenario outside the scope of current thinking that addresses the fast changing and challenging future travel needs and ex- pectations of business and industry.
The design scenario concept is for a dedicated business specific passenger train carriage, the carriage designed so that it is adjustable and flexible in structure, floor size and layout, accommodation, furniture, equipment and services provided, enabling the business user/s to specify their business re- quirements in the pre-booking of travel arrangements.
Creative, innovative design led concepts have been gener-
ated and presented to potential users/clients for response and
feedback. Feedback is showing the approach to be producing
valuable input for continued project research, design and de-
velopment investigation. As an integral component of the
project is the research and application of new and developing
materials, technologies and manufacturing processes, and the influence these will have in the generating of new creative innovative design concepts and their development to design realization. Factored into this is the need to be able to recycle
the materials after an expected train carriage in service life of approximately 35 years.
In parallel to this, is the on-going consideration of the ex- tensive ever-changing safety performance standards and regu- lations that appertain in a very multilayer manufacturer to rail operator regulated industry, and the effect that they have on new design.
Whilst the project is utilising many of the well established forms and processes for undertaking such a project, it is also
assessing how these might be better developed and incorpo- rated for the generating, and communicating of design infor- mation in the creating of new advanced design concepts and their development. [This project is on-going, exploratory, and design for the future].
Since the introduction of the Shinkansen ‗bullet train‘ in Japan in the mid 60‘s, high-speed train systems have been intro- duced and developed in many countries throughout the world, the largest being in China, Japan and Europe. At the moment China is leading the world with investment in new high speed rail networks to link urban centre‘s across the country. It will soon be possible to take a high-speed train starting from Hong Kong and to travel most of the major ci- ties. [illustration 1] Japan is also at the forefront of new devel- opments with its magnetic levitation [Maglev] trains. [1]
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The research paper published by IJSER journal is about Research relating to New Passenger Train Interiors for 2020 and beyond, in Partnership with Government, Industry and Academia 2
ISSN 2229-5518
Illustration 1
Europe has a well-established high-speed rail network and spending on new high-speed rail lines is gathering pace to link up countries across boarders. Europe intends to significantly increase the extent and number of connections by 2025. The long-term plan is to have a high speed Trans-European net- work for the whole of Europe. [illustration 2]
Illustration 2
The USA national long distance rail network is mainly sin- gle track that carries a significant percentage of slow moving freight train traffic. This coupled with other preferred forms of transport such as internal airline flights and the car, both of which are generally considered by the people of the USA to be more efficient in time and cost, also political factors, are the main reasons the USA has not developed high-speed train services. However, President Obama‘s government has recent- ly invested $8 billion to jump-start an ambitious nationwide high-speed rail travel network. [2, 3]
High-speed trains offer distinct advantages over many other forms of transport -
Greatly reduced journey times between city cen- tres.
Seamless journey experience from city centre to
city centre.
Genuine real alternate to airline and other forms of travel over certain journey distances.
Considerable reduction in emissions when com- pared to airline travel, for example - ―the emis- sions from travelling by train from London to Par- is are 90% lower that by air travel‖. [4] The French
AGV train produces 2.2g of CO2 per passenger per kilometre 70 times less than the passenger air- craft 153g. [5]
More energy efficient when carrying high capacity
numbers of travellers.
In comparison to road transport, train transport has a smaller footprint on the landscape.
Train stations are located in city centre‘s making
travel more direct and convenient. Equipment facilities
Service facilities – food, overnight travel, toiletry needs
Perceive customer value.
These examples clearly identify the global trend towards increasing investment and operation of high-speed rail pas- senger travel because of the real and perceived future advan- tages that this form of transport is providing.
The planning, research, design and development of new and the development of existing high speed passenger train travel systems and passenger trains for the future is extremely complex, requiring significant financial investment, and taking many years to design, develop and incorporate. During this time many predicable and unpredictable events can take place, which may alter or modify direction. However, in plan- ning for the future it is necessary to be proactive in the re- search, creation and exploring of possible scenarios, and de- signing and developing products for those scenarios to enable assessment and evaluation to be undertaken.
Based on research undertaken, forecasts and predictions,
this project has been undertaken to explore possible passenger
train travel scenarios, in particular the future travel needs and
wants for the European business community, through the
generation of concept design ideas.
Mobility and transport is no longer seen as purely the means to get from A to B. There is a clear trend towards travel being seen as an experience to be enjoyed whilst also providing somewhere to work and or socialise.
The on-going development of high-speed trains presents new opportunities and challenges to create exciting carriage interiors designs that will meet the needs and expectations of travellers of the future.
The project scenario is based on the current development
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The research paper published by IJSER journal is about Research relating to New Passenger Train Interiors for 2020 and beyond, in Partnership with Government, Industry and Academia 3
ISSN 2229-5518
of high speed passenger trains that are being developed and tested with expected in service speeds in excess of 350kh, (A version of the French TGV has been tested to speeds of
574kph) (6) and the fast expanding European Union high- speed networks where it is predicted that as Europe becomes more and more integrated in terms of business, (currently 50% of all UK business and trade is with EU member states) (7) there will be an increasing need for business people to be able to travel as quick, or more quickly and economically by train over increasingly longer distances in comparison with estab- lished air travel, both in terms of financial cost and in utiliza- tion and effectiveness of personal time.
There are indicators that this is already taking place. In Spain, Italy, France and Germany the development of high speed train networks and the convenience and financial bene- fits they provide, is increasing affecting internal air travel in that some short haul air routes have been substantially re- duced in response to user preference for high-speed train tra- vel. The journey time for the 625 kilometres from Madrid to Barcelona by train is 2.5 hours, travelling at speeds up to
350kph. (8)
The channel tunnel between the UK and France links the
UK with high-speed networks in France, and as new high-
speed lines become operative will extend the range and num-
ber of destinations that can be travelled. Italy now operates a fleet of 25 high-speed trains that travel at speeds up to 340kph, linking Rome Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence and Naples, reducing journey times by up to a third. (9)
Passenger research studies carried out for Eurostar, show that –
Business travellers are prepared to spend up to
four hours on their journey if they can work.
Travel allows uninterrupted opportunities to work via laptops and mobiles en route.
Time saved by travelling city centre to city centre aids productivity.
Freedom and flexibility of direct boarding.
The project aims and objectives are to generate through a proactive research and design led programme, creative con- cept design ideas and proposals outside the scope of current thinking, for business specific rail carriages that addresses the fast changing and challenging future travel needs and expecta- tions of business for the year 2020 and beyond, and the ever changing nature of business. The outcomes of which may help to identify, clarify and formulate future carriage designs that will serve the needs of the business community.
The project brief is to generate through proactive research and design methodology, creative concept design ideas proposals for dedicated business specific passenger train carriages. The car- riages to include appropriate support equipment and infrastruc- ture to facilitate business people undertake their business whilst travelling. The carriages designed so that they are adjustable and
flexible in accommodation floor area layout and structure, and the furniture, equipment and services provided, to enable business user/s specify their business requirements in the pre-booking of travel arrangements.
Business traveller profile types are wide and varied from sin- gle business traveller to small to medium size groups, consisting of directors, sales executives, highly qualified specialists engi- neers, technologists, business support teams, etc.
Minimum facilities to be included for customer use are -
phone, email, video links, and appropriate provision for
group/team motivation trips. For long and/or overnight jour-
neys there will be a need for food, personal sleeping and toile-
try provision, the design and layout for sleeping depending on the requirements of specific user profiles, for example - the individual traveller, groups and the gender and otherwise nature of the groups, and the distance/destination of the tra- veller.
As an integral component of the project is the research and application of new and developing materials, technologies and manufacturing processes, and the influence these will have in the generating of new creative innovative design concepts and their development to design realization. Factored into this is the need to be able to recycle the materials after an expected train carriage in service life of approximately 30 years.
In parallel to this, is the on-going consideration of the ex- tensive ever-changing safety performance standards and regu- lations that appertain in a very multilayer manufacturer to rail operator regulated industry, and the effect that they have on new design.
Whilst the project is utilising many of the well established forms and processes for undertaking such a project, it is also assessing how these might be better developed and incorpo- rated for the generating and communicating of design informa-
tion, in the creating of new advanced design concepts and there development.
Initial User factors to be addressed –
Dedicated spaces to meet needs of passenger
Passenger privacy and personal security
Level of comfort
Equipment facilities
Service facilities – food, overnight travel, toiletry
needs
Perceive customer value
Other factors to be considered –
Maximizing of space utilization/return on investment and ongoing running costs
Materials and manufacturing processes New and developing technologies Legislative and safety requirements,
Green issues – product life cycle and end of life dis- posal issues
Maintenance /ease of cleaning
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The research paper published by IJSER journal is about Research relating to New Passenger Train Interiors for 2020 and beyond, in Partnership with Government, Industry and Academia 4
ISSN 2229-5518
Two creative, innovative design led concepts have been generated and are currently being explored and developed. The design proposals are based on the main carriage structure manufactured from composite materials with modified heat- treated aluminium components, assembled using advanced high technology gluing techniques. One design concept is based on an adjustable screen partition system, that enables passenger areas to be adjusted in layout and fitted with furni- ture and equipment to specific customer individual, group and company requirements for any given journey. [illustra- tions 3,4,5,6 show various initial design ideas] Visual aesthetic design considerations for the partition concept are being ex- plored, including the use of solid, part clear and obscured ma- terials.
Illustration 5 Illustration 3
Illustration 4
Illustration 5
The second design concept is more 'blue sky' and would
require a greater level of change to current rail and train oper-
ations systems and infrastructures, therefore a high level of
commitment from not just the train manufacturers themselves
but depots and rail line operators.
The design concept is based on having a standard coach
chassis that can accept a range of various modular cabin de-
signs that are loaded and locked onto the chassis to form a
complete carriage, each cabin fitted with furniture, equipment
and support services to specific client/customer requirements.
[illustrations 7 and 8 company dedicated carriages, illustration
9 a design proposal for a carriage interior. Illustration 10 de- sign proposal for a company meeting area]
Illustration 6
Illustration 7
Illustration 8
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The research paper published by IJSER journal is about Research relating to New Passenger Train Interiors for 2020 and beyond, in Partnership with Government, Industry and Academia 5
ISSN 2229-5518
Illustration 9
At present, business travellers for the duration of their tra- vel, from leaving the city centre until they reach their final destination, have limited facility and access to company, of- fice, or clients. The modular carriage concept is designed to enable business travellers to hire, rent, lease carriage space that would be tailored specifically to their needs, effectively providing a moving office work environment space.
The design of the furniture and equipment is based on flex- ibility and adjustability, to function in many different floor plan layouts, without compromising the effective utilization of space. Also being considered is the equipment options and inbuilt plug-in service facilities, including phone, email, Inter- net, video conferencing, screen displays.
After formulating the two main themes for high-speed rail travel based around initial research, the design concepts were shown to UK industry stakeholders for response and feed- back. The initial feedback received suggests that both concepts have potential. The feedback is being assessed and where ap- propriate will be applied in the ongoing design and develop- ment of the design concepts. Examples of feedback received are as follows –
“As far as the overall concepts go, a modular train, as a schematic, seems like a good idea, however it would present a number of issues with regards to infrastruc- ture and methods in changing the modules in the train”.
“The business on the move idea certainly has legs; I
think this idea can be extended further on high speed
city to city links”.
“The most popular was the first class aircraft style inte- rior which is something that I believe will be worked towards in the UK on the proposed high speed lines”.
“It is important for these new interiors to give the
"wow" factor to passengers, and the images certainly have the potential to do that”.
With both designs it is important to change perceptions within the industry as well as the perception of train users. There has been inconsequential change in the design of train carriage interiors over the last 50 years in comparison with other methods of transport, particularly air travel. This is due, in part, to the level of investment within the industry. Many industry insiders have become accustomed to this slow change
and will need to be convinced of the real, tangible benefits that high-speed train travel can bring.
Evidence of this was apparent in some of the feedback re- ceived from industry, to quote –
―The design concepts were presented today and as you might expect the more conventional ones [designs] were liked best by the largely ―old railway‖ audience‖.
Passenger train carriage manufacture has for many genera- tions been undertaken on traditional mechanical assembly techniques, based on long well established knowledge and skills abilities, therefore, is low risk.
In the process of designing, research has been undertaken with regard to existing, new and developing materials and manufacturing processes. In particular the use of lightweight materials, structures and associated manufacturing processes.
It is evident that certain advanced technology based mate- rials and processes currently being used by the aircraft and
racing car industries in the products they manufacture, have application for the design of high-speed passenger train car- riage structures and interiors, in that the product performance and safety requirements for the these industries have related similarities. The new Boeing 7E7 ‗Dreamliner‘ passenger plane [illustration 11] and the new McLaren high performance road car, (illustration 12) both of which have been structurally de- signed to be manufactured from lightweight composite and other high technology performance based materials, are ex- amples of this. [10][11]
Illustration 10 Illustration 11
The reduction in weight is seen as a primary focus in the rail industry as not only does it give obvious benefits to fuel consumption but also keeps axle loads down reducing incre- mental damage to the track, and in turn reducing the regulari- ty of track replacement and maintenance programs.
Composite materials offer several advantages in the pro- posed design concepts –
The ability to manufacture a large one-piece
moulded lightweight structure
Ease of manufacturing body form and surface smoothness
The ability to integrate integral structural compo- nents, partitions, furniture, equipment, etc.
Although these materials and manufacturing processes are relatively expensive at present, the need for manufacturers to address increasingly more demanding product performance specifications, particularly with regard to product and tech- nical performance, ecology issues such as CO2 emissions and
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The research paper published by IJSER journal is about Research relating to New Passenger Train Interiors for 2020 and beyond, in Partnership with Government, Industry and Academia 6
ISSN 2229-5518
recycling, and the reduction of product costs, is driving indus- try to develop cheaper new high technology, high perfor- mance materials. [14][15][16]
Research undertaken on the comparative life cycle costs of passenger cars, produced using traditional metal manufactur- ing methods compared to equivalent cars incorporating vari- ous lightweight composite materials, is showing that there are distinct cost benefits, plus the environment issues of fuel sav- ing and reduction in pollution. [17]
Along with improvements in aerodynamic and weight re- duction performance, train manufacturers have identified ad- ditional processes that have been used in performance motor- ing, such as regenerative breaking, that can be used in the de- sign of next generation trains to increase fuel efficiency. A re- cent Siemens study indicated that regenerative braking might recover 41.6% of the total energy consumed. [17]
The content presented shows the initial outcomes of an on- going exploratory proactive design research programme. The project is future based addressing a number of unknown fac- tors therefore the work undertaken is based on aspects of re- search, certain assumptions and creative design input. One of the objectives for the final outcomes of the programme is to create a platform for dialog, as to what the nature and design of high-speed rail carriage interiors for business travellers for the year 2020 and beyond, might be. In the process contribute to formulating a more informed perspective as to the future needs of business travellers.
[1] Map showing high-speed train network in China. Johomapa 2006-11 [2] Map showing high-speed train network in the European Union
[3] Illustration and sketch of partition system. Authors of paper
[4] Illustration and sketch of partition system. Authors of paper
[5] Illustration of partition system. Authors of paper
[6] Modular design concept. Authors of paper [7] Modular design concept. Authors of paper [8] Modular design concept. Authors of paper [9] Illustration of meeting/conference area.
[10] Boeing ‗Dreamliner‘ aeroplane. Main structure uses composite materials.
Boeing photo
[11] New McLaren high performance road car, structure composite materials.
McLaren.
[1] High Speed Trains. High Speed Trains Operate Worldwide. Amanda Briney.
About.com Geography. 26/07/2009.
[2] What‘s the Future of Passenger Railroad? Interview with James McCom- mons. Makenna Goodman 22/11/2009.
[3] Passenger Trains. Our Hope for a More Sustainable Future. Olga Bonfiglio
CommonDreams.org.
[4] Paul Watkiss Associates. Research study commissioned by Eurostar. Under- taken 2007 to 2009.
[5] Alstrom Group. A sustainable train. The AGV – Clean and energy efficient.
[6] Trains of the Future. Is France‘s Energy Guzzling TGV Prototype the Right
Answer? Christian Wilst. Spiegel Online International 06/04/2007. [7] David Cameron Prime Minister. UK Government. 9/12/2011
[8] James Harland. Silverrail Technologies. 29/11/2011
[9] Italian trains fast-forward into the future. Charles Starmer-Smith. The Tele- graph newspaper 16/05/2009
[10] Breakthrough in Aerospace Composites Manufacturing. A Brent Strong.
Young University.[
(11] McLaren new high performance road car. Jorn Madslien, Business reporter
BBC News.
[12] BBC2 documentary programme. New high performance production road car. 2O/11/2011.
[13] Advanced Composites Group. Archived Rail Transport Sector News.
3/11/2011
[14) Reducing Costs in Aircraft. The Metals Affordability Initiative Consortium.
Rich Martin and Daniel Evans. JOM journal 52 (3) (2000) pp 24-28.
[15] Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Passenger cars. Steel versus Composites. Seyed
Hamed Mousavi Khoonsari. University of Boras.
[16] Aerospace Manufacturing. The latest developments driving the expanding role of composite materials in the aerospace industry. Dr Bernd Vermeulen, Technical manager, Aerostructures at QinetiQ. 21.06.2010.
[17] www.energyharvestingjournal.com/articles/regenerative-braking-to-power-
trains-00002241.asp?sessionid=1.
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