UK: Accessibility, comfort and convenience were priorities when designing the interiors of the future Class 895 trainsets for High Speed 2 services, according to the Hitachi-Alstom High Speed manufacturing joint venture which showed a full-size mock up of the design concept to the public for the first time during The Greatest Gathering event in Derby.
The design has been developed through a collaboration between HS2 Ltd, its appointed shadow operator West Coast Partnership Development and the Hitachi-Alstom joint venture. This involved 20 dedicated user groups and a consumer focus group of over 500 people, in what HS2 Ltd said was the most extensive user development exercise ever for a new train fleet built in the UK.
‘Engaging with a diverse range of future passengers, including those who may not typically consider train travel, has been crucial in shaping the features that will make a real difference to their experience’, said James Grundy, Project Director for Hitachi-Alstom High Speed.
HS2 Ltd said the trains with a design speed of 360 km/h would offer more legroom than any other in the UK, with the seats having dropdown tray table and a separate shelf to stand phones on when viewing video content. There will be multiple power and charging options including three-pin plugs and USB-C.
The overhead and under-seat luggage storage has been designed ‘recognising that passengers prefer to have their possessions close by’, and the horizontal bicycle storage designed for easy use. Accessibility features will include level boarding from new HS2 stations, a new grab handle profile and audio announcements and visual display screens in the toilet cubicles. People with mobility aids will have greater freedom to select their seat, wheelchair users can expect the same facilities other seats, and the toilets will have baby changing tables, clothing/bag hooks and a pull-down child seat, reflecting feedback from families.
There are two further design phases to be completed, and changes may be introduced before manufacturing begins.
HS2 Ltd has also confirmed the manufacturing locations. Hitachi Rail is to undertake bodyshell welding and electrical fit-out at its Newton Aycliffe site, with the interior fit-out at Alstom’s Derby site and the bogies to be manufactured in Crewe
‘We’ve dedicated time and energy into understanding what matters most to people when they travel by train, and by listening and acting on feedback we can be confident that our interior designs will meet and exceed passengers’ needs’, said HS2 Ltd’s Senior Rolling Stock Engineer James Dawson. ‘These trains will run across Britain on high speed and conventional lines for decades to come, so it’s important we get the fundamental design right, not just for today but also for the future.’
