Train design: Details that make the difference

Can you give us a brief introduction to what you do in train design?

Natalia: Basically, we design the train at all stages and from all points of view: the interior, the exterior, all the cabling and mechanical installations. We also have teams that work on the software and on the different mechanical systems. Another team does the validation before the train goes on the tracks. We cover the whole life cycle of the design of a train. 

How do you begin a train design project?

Lorena: The first thing we do is to review the customer’s requisites, the specific technical points that they want us to address and include in the design. Normally, the customer provides a design book with their esthetic requirements. We also have a thorough understanding of the standards we need to meet. With this in hand, we take a previous project and build around it.  

Natalia: As Lorena said, the interior design comprises everything you see when you are standing inside a train – the spaces for luggage, the bars and belts people use when they are standing in the train, the seats – and also many things you don’t see. It’s not just the esthetics, but also all the fittings, the structures, including the driver’s cabin. 

What we receive from our customer is the box – it could be steel or aluminum – and we design the interior as well as the exterior – whether for trams, metros, or high-speed trains and locomotives. We have comprehensive knowledge about different types of trains, although we are specialists in passenger trains, tramways and metros. Our teams have been working in the railway sector for a long time, bringing with them their knowledge of all different kinds of trains.  

What are some of the challenges? 

Natalia: The railway sector is a rapidly changing environment. There are a lot of suppliers, a lot of people involved, and our customers also have changes they want to make along the way. Our design team needs to keep up with those changes – to adapt the design to the evolving requirements. We are in contact with the client on a daily basis and they have great confidence in us. 

Can you describe the various design phases? 

Natalia: There are several stages in the design of a train. When developing the concept, we help our customers to make their ideas reality – we recommend the best way to do things. One team member, our focal point, leads the design process as well as the ALTEN team – in terms of workload, deadlines – from conception through to the detailed design phase. 

Lorena: The train assembly is divided into smaller stages. For every assembly, we do a 3D rendering based on the requirements set out in the design book; then we start on the 2D part. The output of the work package is a 3D model of the complete train and also a set of drawings that the technical people will use to assemble the train. 

What tools do you use to manage all this? 

Lorena: We use product lifecycle management software to ensure that everyone on the team is kept up to date. One of the strengths of our team is their familiarity with the various tools and elements. Developing the bill of materials needed by the customer for the assembly of the train is very important. We have a library of all the standard elements – like bolts, nuts, washers, fabrics.  

What are some of the problems you encounter?  

Lorena: It’s important to pay attention to all the details. A part might look great in the 3D design, but if you’re not paying attention, the person who has to assemble it might not have the space they need. This could require modifications that can make the project very expensive; some of the pieces may need to be discarded and new ones made by the suppliers. Using virtual reality glasses and 3D models, the experts on site are able to see how the assembly will work. This can be more useful than hundreds of drawings. 

Natalia: Once we finish a project, we compile the lessons learned – the good practices as well as the issues or problems we have faced in the design, so as not to repeat them in the future. In the end this avoids problems on the production line, saving money for our customers and increasing their confidence in us.  

What innovations are you working on – is there a train of the future? 

Natalia: There are new ways of powering trains, instead of diesel or electricity, that are very interesting. For example, we are working on fitting trains with hydrogen-based propulsion, similar to what is happening in the world of aviation. There is also a lot of innovation in the materials used in the railway sector. One of the biggest requirements in terms of design is reducing the weight of the train – this is one of the most difficult things to manage from the design point of view. Every assembly needs to be super-efficient in terms of weight. So, the lighter the materials are, while still being sturdy, the better. 

Lorena: In addition to metal parts, we use fibers. These are much lighter and you can make shapes that are more esthetically interesting, for instance using the 3D printers that are becoming popular in railway sector. 

How big is your team in Spain? 

Natalia: We are the biggest design team in ALTEN in Spain and we are growing. We are also trying to diversify – to be as flexible as possible in terms of working in different sectors. We have the maturity to take on new challenges and in the end, design is everywhere.

We are very proud of what we are doing in railway design: on quality and on time.