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DB Regio: suburban train of the future concepts on show

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Adlington

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Railway Gazette writes:
DB Regio has unveiled IdeenzugCity, a full-scale mock up built to showcase ideas to improve the comfort, capacity and reliability of future suburban trains.

Features include seats which can be extended or retracted at the push of a button. This could enable operators to increase capacity by 40% in the peaks by providing more standing space, and then increase the number of seats for provide more comfortable journeys for off-peak travellers. This could also be used to tailor the amount of space for bicycles and pushchairs to better suit demand.
This variable seating arrangement seems the best feature of the project. Other ideas are small cherries on the cake.
BTW, which feature(s) are supposed to "improve the [...] reliability of future suburban trains"?
 
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riceuten

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"Which feature(s) are supposed to "improve the [...] reliability of future suburban trains"

Possibly the tailoring of space for pushchairs and bikes! The amount of delays I have experienced with people faffing around with both of these on DB trains - particularly RBs and REs is unreal.

The proposed trains look very trammy or tram-train-esque. I guess more doors means (theoretically) quicker ingress and egress - notwithstanding the above. If you do the virtual tour, the doors look much wider than existing train doors. They're also flush with the platform, which not all S-Bahn train doors are.

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I suppose they think also that a more comprehensive guide to connections and times will help passengers plan their journeys better. They state

"It offers [sic[ lots of space and uses overdoor displays to guide passengers so they can enter and exit the train quickly. In addition to a vending machine for drinks, the innovative service wall offers passengers an e-scooter charging station and a large display with a digital map of the network of routes. One eye-catching feature is the lighting system, which adjusts the light conditions to suit the time of day with settings for peak- and off-time services. It is linked with anonymised video sensors. In the future, we will be able to use it to guide passengers to available seating and standing room. It also helps us create a pleasant ambiance for them: cool lighting in the morning and warm lighting in the evening"

"We will be able to use it to guide passengers to available seating and standing room" sounds great in theory, but I am not sure how using the lighting system will help this. Also, if this is an S-Bahn, the likelihood is that people will be standing in front of the comprehensive information screen.

The proposed "standing seats" remind me of the Ryanair standing seats proposal!

1627902537969.png
Looking at the regional train version of this


gives some interesting concepts as regards toilets
"This module is completely new, and it contains three stand-alone features that deliver maximum convenience and hygiene for travellers: a toilet booth with a baby-changing table, a separate urinal and a free-standing sink for anyone to use when necessary. Passengers do not need to touch the doors or fittings to operate these features". Something there for the germophobes !

and a work out space !
"IdeasTrain passengers can keep active even while on board. The sports module features bookable workout booths with exercise bikes and a digital fitness trainer that gives people tips for creating a workout programme that's right for them"
 
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BayPaul

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I like the standing seats very much. On tube trains the perch seats at the end of the train are my first go-to spot, and adding more like these sounds like a very good way to increase capacity, whilst keeping comfort.
 

Bletchleyite

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I like the standing seats very much. On tube trains the perch seats at the end of the train are my first go-to spot, and adding more like these sounds like a very good way to increase capacity, whilst keeping comfort.

There was a point in Ryanair investigating those for planes - you can't have unrestrained standees on planes. For trains they seem a bit pointless to me, just have decent standing provision.
 

BayPaul

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There was a point in Ryanair investigating those for planes - you can't have unrestrained standees on planes. For trains they seem a bit pointless to me, just have decent standing provision.
I can see the point for trains - they are a surprisingly comfortable way to spend a journey, and use up a lot less space than seats. As I say, I gravitate towards them on the tube, even if every seat on the train is empty. I would probably go for them on end walls, rather than in toast-rack configuration as in this picture - for my mind they are an awful lot better than fold down seats for example in doorway areas, which as I know you agree, are the worst of both worlds, as they tend to use up more space when the train is busy, and are not required when the train is empty.
 
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