Rail
Overview
Clients worldwide rely on DCA to support the development of vehicles and services that will shape the next generation of rail transport solutions.
In this highly regulated industry, DCA’s depth of experience and breadth of creativity combine to provide innovative solutions capable of meeting the challenging technical, commercial and legislative requirements of future train fleets.
Our unrivalled skill set generates designs that boast outstanding aesthetics and usability, without compromising on safety and legislative standards.
Interior design
Train interior design is firstly about optimising the use of a limited space to create a welcoming, memorable environment in which passengers feel special, while complying with standards, regulations and best practice, including human factors and accessibility requirements.
Train interiors need to be functional and comfortable, as well as incorporating unexpected features and design details that will differentiate a particular service and delight passengers. These should be informed by research to establish passenger requirements and preferences, as well as cultural and geopolitical themes that are relevant to the regions in which the trains will operate.
Drawing on our extensive experience of working with some of the world’s best known consumer brands, we can use tools such as Visual Brand Language (VBL) to select colour palettes, patterns and forms, and details and finishes to convey your unique corporate and service-specific branding messages.
Ergonomics and Human Factors
Nowhere are the ergonomic and Human Factors (HF) demands more challenging than on passenger rolling stock projects, which involve transporting diverse and differently able people in safety and comfort. Which is why our international award-winning Human Factors team places the human element at the heart of our design process, ensuring optimum accessibility and inclusivity in every rail project.
When designing rail interiors, we focus on passenger comfort and security, utilising a combination of practical and theoretical HF techniques to create and document solutions that deliver high standards of user satisfaction. We apply the same detailed approach to each of the staff only areas as well, to ensure safe and efficient operating, servicing and maintenance.
We have developed a structured but flexible approach to delivering the necessary HF compliance documentation as an integrated part of the train design and delivery programme. We combine desk-based assessments with practical rig and mock-up trials and creative problem solving when issues are highlighted to create the necessary HF assessment report.
Working environments
Our usability and Human Factors (HF) tools and techniques are critical in the design and optimisation of work environments that meet the needs of those who use them day in and day out.
We have developed ground-breaking processes for undertaking Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) and glare studies as part of the design and HF assessment of driver’s desks and cabs. The quality of our work and our interactive use of rigs, models and mock-ups of increasing fidelity through the design process was recognised by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in America who presented us with their User-Centred Product Design Award for the Class 800 cab and train interiors.
Applying HTA and other HF tools such as Human Reliability Assessment (HRA) allows us to review, refine and validate the design of the other staff areas, including all levels of catering facilities, guard or train captain facilities, and emergency equipment access and deployment.
Colour, material and finish (CMF)
Every interior can be brought to life with imaginative combinations of colour palettes, fabric and laminate patterns and paint finishes. Combined with the right mix of ambient, task and mood lighting, these CMF elements set the scene, creating welcoming environments with an appropriate mood and atmosphere that make passengers feel valued.
From a practical point of view, our CMF choices must meet the requirements for colour contrasts and avoid excessive visual sensory stimulation, which can cause dizziness, headaches or disorientation for some passengers. We also ensure durability of all our interior solutions by working closely with suppliers to specify hard-wearing materials that are both easy to maintain and compliant with operating standards.
Exteriors and livery design
The right combinations of exterior form, detail and applied livery can act as your brand ambassador, often becoming the visual identity of a service or operating company.
We combine digital sketching and 3D CAD surface modelling to achieve the right balance of visual forms, proportions and design details required to create a distinctive exterior persona. We work over representative structural and engineering underlays to ensure that our solutions are realistic and take account of practical constraints. But we are not afraid to challenge accepted norms where this offers real visual benefits.
Communicating brand values
Global rail projects
From our Warwick design studios in the heart of England, we have delivered successful solutions for rail projects around the world, from Australia and Hong Kong to Europe - including France, Belgium and Spain - and closer to home in the UK.
Our design expertise has benefitted global clients - including Alstom, Bombardier, Hitachi and CAF - and these collaborative projects have produced award-winning outcomes that are in use daily across the globe, delivering high-quality travel experiences that passengers value.
New concepts and tender proposals
Getting the commercial and technical aspects right is crucial to a successful tender proposal. However, it is also important to demonstrate how the commercial and technical elements will be delivered in a form that is attractive and inspirational, as well as practical and appropriate.
We will work closely with your bid team to ensure that we thoroughly understand your technical proposition so that our design solution is accurately aligned and maximises the benefits of your engineering platform. We will research and understand the context in which the proposed service will operate so that the design solution will be unique and relevant to the geography, culture, history and demographics of the particular service and reflects the operator’s brand values.
Conveying these messages in a clear, engaging and accessible manner to a wide-ranging audience composed of both informed individuals and the general public is vital. Large infrastructure projects require capital expenditure, often with government support. As designers, one of our most important roles is to communicate the agreed message and image with clarity to all the key stakeholders.
Giving projects their own identity
Safety critical design
Proprietary rail products designed and manufactured to the unique requirements of a particular vehicle or service - such as the emergency detrainment steps for London Underground - are typical of the safety critical designs that DCA is able to deliver. In order to take on such projects, we need to thoroughly understand the implications of industry regulations and test regimes and risk manage each project in a carefully structured and documented manner.
We provide a comprehensive service that includes mechanical engineering, prototyping, testing and evaluation, usability and ergonomics, and production support, supplemented by a proven track record of designing solutions suited to low-volume batch production and approval methods, which enables us to take projects from concept to completion.
Experience demonstrators
At DCA, the design process is about creating exciting, original work that often tests the bounds of possibility, both from a visual perspective and through the application of new technology.
The ability to demonstrate potential solutions through physical and virtual prototyping is vital for testing and refining their performance and achieving buy-in from key stakeholders. To this end, we use a mixture of physical rigs and mock-ups and immersive virtual reality environments throughout the development process to engage with the widest range of stakeholders, encouraging them to test and trial our concepts as an integral part of the creative team.
Design realisation
At DCA, we believe that there is no substitute for direct experience of designs, whether through early functional and ergonomic rigs or the highly representative mock-ups necessary for final sign-off and approval.
Our workshops have the space and facilities to build full-size train rigs, models and mock-ups in a secure, controlled working environment that protects the confidentiality of your project.
All builds are facilitated by our experienced in-house technicians, who use the latest prototyping technologies to bring concepts to life with speed and efficiency, enabling stakeholders to experience the realisation of their projects first-hand.
Delivering results
Since the 1980s, DCA has continually delivered award-winning transport design. As one of the UK’s most experienced consultancies, we understand what is required to transform a simple idea into a practical, commercial solution. With our impressive blend of design and engineering skills, supplemented by vast industry experience, we are perfectly positioned to translate technical briefs and brand specifications into tangible solutions backed by 3D data. Our portfolio spans every aspect of rail design, from seats and accessible toilets to complete interiors, exteriors and driver’s cabs, attesting to our broad-ranging capability and proven track record sector-wide.
Transforming ideas into practical, commercial solutions
Featured
60+ years of experience in the rail industry
