In over 50 projects for well-known rail operators such as SBB, DB and ÖBB and numerous others, as well as for vehicle manufacturers such as Siemens and Alstom, to name just a few examples, we have been able to clearly demonstrate the advantages for operators over the last 15 years if they focus on the behaviour and needs of their passengers.
Conversely, if the focus is on the wrong parameters when planning passenger vehicles, parameters that are supposed to increase efficiency but usually do not take passengers into account, the result is usually inefficient vehicles.
Care for Some Examples?
Often, the goal is to transport as many passengers as possible. This leads to a maximum number of seats being planned for intercity trains. In purely mathematical terms, this increases seating capacity and thus the expectation of increasing revenue. In reality, there is a lack of luggage racks, in particular. In addition to often chaotic conditions caused by non-stowable luggage, this leads to a reduction in the actual number of seats, as up to 20% are blocked by luggage. Furthermore, the flow of passengers is severely impeded, which can lead to significantly longer passenger turnaround times. This reduces punctuality and also leads to increased energy consumption, since the maximum possible speed often has to be driven to maintain the travel time. There are many more examples.
Here Are a Few Key Figures of What a Good Vehicle Layout Can Achieve:
- Reduce dwell time up to 70%,
- Increase seating capacity up to 20%,
- Reduce rail energy consumption up to 20%.
Our philosophy has always been: we analyse passengers in detail to learn from them. We use this know-how to optimise vehicles. In over 50 projects, we have succeeded in significantly increasing efficiency. These include vehicles such as the ICE4, ICE-L, ÖBB-railjet, ÖBB-nightjet, SBB-Twindexx and many more.
Taking into account customer requirements and behaviour always pays off. If you are planning or ordering new vehicles, retrofitting and renewing vehicles or otherwise dealing with vehicles, ask us and take advantage of our expertise. In over 20 years, we have analysed the behaviour of 400,000 passengers through intensive research. We provide this expertise in the TrainOptimizer service.
This article first appeared in the Railway-News Magazine Issue 1 2025. Download the full PDF version here.
