BMW DesignworksUSA Redesigning BART Trains

We have all heard the description of a car handling so well, it was ?like it was riding on rails?, now BMW is taking that expression literally.? DesignworksUSA, the design consultancy and subsidiary of BMW Group is taking the lead role in the redesign of the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system in the San Francisco Bay area.

DesignworksUSA and BART will work together to create the ?Fleet of the Future,? a new generation of train cars that will enter service by 2017.? The goal is to deliver a premium ridership experience for its passengers. BART, which began picking up passengers in September 1972, presently operates the oldest fleet of train cars in the USA.?

The scope of work assigned to DesignworksUSA for BART includes the train cars? exterior, which will convey a style and shape with unique signature expression to the exterior passenger information system. Inside the new train cars, DesignworksUSA will create the main interior design features of the new train cars, and incorporate the controls in the design of the train operator?s cab.

?DesignworksUSA is invigorated to join BART in their continuing commitment to delivering a premium ridership experience,? says Laurenz Schaffer, President, BMW Group DesignworksUSA. ?We are passionate about creating innovative solutions for mobility in increasingly dense urban centers such as the Bay Area, and we are excited as our collaborative partnership with BART gets underway,? Schaffer continues.

BART?s mission is to provide commuters with a viable alternative to driving, and therefore DesignworksUSA?s deep expertise creating premium design and user experiences not only in the train category, but also in the aviation and automotive categories, was a key differentiator that further guided their selection for this project.

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is the 5th largest all-rail train system in the USA. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains serve the residents of four counties and the 26 cities that surround its 44 stations. Every weekday 350,000 customers ride BART, which operates the oldest fleet of train cars in the USA.

 

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