Deutsche Bahn wants to bring the comforts of home to the train carriage

Transport operators are always looking at ways to increase passenger levels. And making comfortable carriages that offer a great user experience is the way forward. This week German long-distance rail operator Deutsche-Bahn launched images of a new interior redesign, part of their goal to modernize and improve the passenger experience.

There’s a lot of wood, warm, natural colors, and modern fabrics to help you pretend you aren’t sitting near other people. It looks pretty cool and I am feeling like a big old train nerd fangirling over some pretty sick features.  Let’s check it out:

Not Deutsche-Bahn’s first design rodeo

However, this train is nice and all but let’s face it, it’s pretty conventional. This is not Deutsche-Bahn’s first attempt at transforming the train interior and, with it, the passenger experience. In 2017, the company created Der Ideenzug, a prototype train that blends work, home, and traveling by train.

To be honest, I kinda liked it better, especially the neon for a nighttime disco feel:

Interestingly, the inside included sports cabins with digital fitness trainers, family play equipment, kitchens, bistro benches and tables, game consoles, TVs for watching sports, and more. Nice.

I guess it‘s all about balancing the budget, not to mention the goal to carry the maximum number of people. After all, an exercise carriage means a lot less room for paid seats. We also know that Deutsche-Bahn and other rail operators globally suffered a massive downturn in paying customers during the pandemic, so there’s a lot less room for frills.

The first train with the new interior will be available for travel in December. It’s not as sexy as it could be, but I’m looking forward to giving it a try.