Railtex 2017, a three-day international railway exhibition featuring product demonstrations, seminars from key industry figures and plenty of networking, was launched at the NEC today.
Hundreds of exhibitors from the likes of Hitachi, Siemens, Alstom and Stadler were present and – while we didn’t get the chance to speak to everyone (yet) – here are five things we learned from day one:
.@42Technology is showcasing its fascinating adaptable carriage technology to cater for customers AND cargo. #Railtex2017 pic.twitter.com/96lyqqDWNW
— Rail Media (@rail_media) May 9, 2017
In the future, passenger carriages could be adaptable to make room for cargo
42 Technology has come up with a working prototype of a carriage that can condense passenger seating to make room for cargo, making the most of unused capacity.
Trains’ could carry up to 30 per cent more passengers with this design
Continuing the theme, PriestmanGoode has created what could be the train seat design of the future. One adjacent seat sits slightly further forward than the other to give passengers more shoulder space. The intention isn’t to use them throughout trains, just a proportion.
Alstom has revealed a new EMU
Simply titled the ‘UK EMU’, the modular trains consist of four to 11 cars with the potential for speeds of up to 140mph.
What Hitachi’s HS2 train concept looks like
The above model of the Hitachi AT400, ‘The British Bullet Train’, featured at the tech giants exhibition.
There are more exhibitors at Railtex 2017 than at any point in the last decade.
Stephen Brooks, of events firm and organisers Mack Brooks, addressed visitors in the event’s first speech and revealed so.
