WITH numerous builds of rolling stock reaching the delivery stage in Germany, Italy, Britain and elsewhere, it is a busy time for Europe’s seating manufacturers. All types of seat are in demand, the key issues being low weight and resistance to vandalism. Several suppliers have developed modular designs to suit different requirements from a base model, while wood finishes have become popular in Germany and Switzerland.
Schindler Technik is supplying seats for SBB’s ICN tilting trains; weight per first class seat is around 21 kg. The company’s Swood first class design is heavier at 25 kg per seat.
Karlsruhe-based Vogel Sitze International has won a contract to seat 60 PUMA rebodied cars for German Railway using its modular Wing design. It has contracts to supply seats for Adtranz-built Regio-Shuttle railcars and expects to launch its Pino design for the tram and light rail market in May. The Pino has an all-plastic twin-shell that can be supplied in a range of colours with glass-fibre reinforced squabs or backs if required.
Grammer Systems of Amberg in Germany is marketing a wider range of seats since its recent takeover of Magna Paulisch and Italian subsidiary Lazzerini so that seating is available for all railway applications. Orders include seats for German Railway’s ICE3 trainsets, and among recent designs is an integrated child seat for use in family areas.
Compin of France is offering a seat with touch-screen seatback video unit aimed at British operator Virgin for its future fleet of tilting trains for the West Coast Main Line. Other designs from Compin have been proposed for the Adtranz Electrostar ordered by Connex Rail. The company has supplied seats for the Korean TGVs and has developed a new design for DB’s Metropolitan K
