Proteus - Flexible Rail Interior System

This project responds to the rapidly changing landscape in rail, post COVID-19\. It aims to bring innovation to rail carriage interiors that will offer benefits and reassurances to passengers and bring commercial opportunities to leasing companies and operators. As a result of the various lockdown measures introduced since early 2020, train services in the UK are currently running at 20% capacity. Although surveys anticipate that passengers will return over time, patterns of travel are predicted to be different such as a flatter profile of morning and evening peak hours, longer but less frequent commutes, single-leg journeys with micro-mobility modes used to complete the last mile of journeys, and an increased leisure market at weekends. The Transport Focus 2021 research indicates that passenger anxiety around personal space and distancing and concerns for hygiene are two of the critical factors influencing the speed at which passengers will return to rail travel. Operators must also compete against a new-found attachment to working from home and the associated benefits in terms of work/life balance. However, the actual profile of passenger return is unknown and could be influenced by factors such as future waves of the pandemic and economic performance. Therefore, operators need flexibility built-in to allow them to manage through multiple future scenarios. As there have been no new train interiors put into service since the pandemic, this project aims to deliver a first-of-a-kind carriage environment and seating layout that address passenger concerns and provide operators with flexibility, allowing them to flex onboard accommodation for a gradual return. Key features would include: New definition of personal space within carriages; Seat designs that facilitate easier cleaning and reduction of dirt-traps; Built-in features that allow passengers to make best use of their time onboard to do work and be productive; Improved storage space for luggage, bikes and other micro-mobility modes; A layout with 'passive flexibility' allowing operators to bring seats in and out of service according to demand and be able to make those changes immediately or overnight in-depot, without taking the set out of service and needing engineering support. In addition, the structural changes ongoing in the rail industry, with a very high intensity of franchise re-leasing work in the next 5 years gives a once in a generation opportunity to carry out vehicle refreshes and capitalise on the disruption of the pandemic to provide a higher quality passenger experience as we recover from it.