exclusively for railway and masstransit

interiors, passenger services

and comfort, Railway Interiors Expo

succeeded in attracting over 2,500

visitors to Köln, Germany at the end

of November, with exhibitors and

attendees alike united in their praise

of the event. Just one year on from

the fi rst Expo, the 2005 show was

approximately double the size,

with more than 170 exhibitors

showcasing their latest products and

innovations. Next year’s Expo will

take place in Köln on 28, 29, 30

November 2006.

Travelling from over 60 countries,

visitors in search of the very latest

rail and mass transit interior

developments were greeted by a vast

array of new products. “There is an

incredible range of innovations on

show – I think it is safe to say that

just about everything you could

possibly want for your rail-car

interior is being shown, with a whole

variety of products being unveiled

here in Köln for the fi rst time,” said

Tony Robinson, CEO of UKIP Media

& Events, organiser of Railway

Interiors Expo 2005. “The general

feedback has been extremely positive.

There were business conversations

taking place everywhere.”

One-stop-shop

Visitors were particularly impressed

by the Expo’s convenience factor,

allowing them to quickly identify

new products and to hold detailed

discussions with vendors about

their needs for the future – all in

just a few days, under one roof.

If that wasn’t enough, the show

also included a free-to-attend

three-day Open Technology

Forum, with speakers focusing on

new technologies and key issues

affecting the rail interiors sector.

“We have a new project for which

we are designing new trains, so

the exhibition gives me the perfect

opportunity to see all kinds of new

interior products and ideas,” said

Pasi Rytkönen, purchasing manager,

Talgo, Finland.

“I think there are many interesting

exhibits and the Expo provides

instant access to what’s going on in

the interiors market,” added Hans

Erik Jensen, interiors engineering,

DSB, Denmark.

“It’s an excellent exhibition – I’ve

really got a lot of value for money

from being here, both from the

presentations and also from the

vendors that are exhibiting,” said

Guy Faulkner, product manager,

corridor services (Quebec and

Ontario), VIA Rail Canada, Canada.

The ideal venue to showcase new

products to potential customers, the

Expo saw a number of important

launches. The following round-up

provides just a glimpse of what

was on offer.

Entertainment systems

Volo chose Railway Interiors Expo

2005 as the perfect platform to

promote its new on-train, integrated

seatback entertainment system,

which allows rail passengers

to choose between a range of

entertainment, including news,

sport and fi lms.

The system is currently being

trialled by passengers on UK train

operator, First Great Western.

Customers can choose between

various entertainment options,

including fi lms, comedy, sport and

news, as well as playing the latest

computer games and keeping an eye

on journey details and travel

destination information.

Paul Soor, Volo’s managing

director, reported a great deal of

interest from visitors. “The exhibition

was very good for Volo – it attracted

a quality audience, of both potential

customers and suppliers, and

confi rmed again for Volo that what

we have done is truly unique and the

interest was signifi cant.”

Already established in the airline

industry, digEcor presented the

digEplayer, a portable audio/video

on-demand (AVOD) in-fl ight, or in

this case, on-train entertainment

system. The unit comes

preprogrammed with movies, TV

shows, cartoons, videos and music,

as well as destination information.

Amtrak recently ordered 500

digEplayers for its Autotrain, which

currently carries 200,000 passengers

annually between Washington, DC

and Orlando, Florida on a 16.5-

hour, 855-mile overnight journey.

The units are available for rental at

both stations for US$19 for the oneway

trip. “The plan is to now roll it

out across the USA with Amtrak,

including its north-east corridor,”

said Web Barth, digEcor’s sales

manager, during the show. “We have

gained fi ve or six very high-quality

opportunities as a direct result of

attending the show – we’re new to

the rail industry, so the Expo’s been

great for introducing us to the

market,” added Barth.

Another company with a

background developing in-fl ight

entertainment (IFE) systems for the

world’s airlines, ASA presented its

latest passenger information and

entertainment system for the rail

sector – a solution currently in

service on the Heathrow Express.

Besides entertaining passengers, the

system doubles up as a powerful

advertising platform, offering the

potential for return on investment in

under 18 months, according to the

company. A wireless update facility

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