Seating solution for trains adapts to both passengers and cargo

42 Technology hopes its Adaptable Carriage will help train operating companies to configure carriages according to demand.

UK-based 42 Technology has collaborated with its nation’s rail industry to launch the Adaptable Carriage, which allows Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to stow away seats and tables to create space for cargo. The seating solution also features a forward-folding seat design that makes cleaning easier, and a sliding mechanism to configure the seats into a seated position along the carriage.

The company claims that the technology is compatible with both steel-frame and modern aluminium train carriage designs using cantilevered seats. All of the seats, tables and draught screens within each section of the carriage are interconnected and can be moved through the carriage. The control system secures the seats in both passenger and cargo-carrying use, and it can be instantly integrated with the carriage control mechanism to allow door locking for passenger safety.

The system was developed as part of a two-year Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB)-funded program that was backed by input from the UK rail industry. The system’s deployment is expected to reduce road congestion pollution and ensure faster deliveries with new services. The technology is currently ready for trials and can either be retrofitted into existing carriages or integrated into new-build designs.

Evolving transportation to optimise its use and efficiency has been popular this year, with the creation of a sound recognition app that gives car ‘ears’ to help monitors its mechanical health, and smart tires that alert drivers when maintenance is needed. When it comes to streamlining transport-related stresses, what is there a gap in the market for?