Awesome concept and execution.
For those interested, this is a good bbc podcast episode digging in to the economics of train travel including sleeper trains
What do you see as the benefits over Nightjet’s Mini Cabins?
Also, interesting to see just after the launch of https://noxmobility.com/ which is targeting the same market.
I've long joked that modules should be made easy to swap with a forklift. Trains are usually full of small defects that aren't serious enough to take them out of service.
If they are comfortable you could rent out the cabins when not in use either fitted on the train or not. You could also retire the units there.
You could make a platform only and make it easy for others to design modules in a broad price range. Maybe most modules should be in storage until booked.
You could park the "hotel" module on the destination and put it back on the train for the return trip.
Really cool concept. I wish we could have something like this in the US one day.
Wanted to report a small typo, In the 3D model index menu, "Uppder" can be found. I assume this was supposed to read "Upper", as in "above".
I hope to one day ride such a system when I visit europe, best of luck with your project.
Hi! What's your perspective on the shortage of manufacturing capacity for night train rolling stock? Last I heard ÖBB can't build them fast enough for demand, and few other companies are able to actually produce these? Are you planning to build your own industrial manufacturing capability for this? And what about 2nd level suppliers?
I gotta say I love this? Are you in contact at all with the folks advocating for more night trains across the EU https://back-on-track.eu/ ? Seems like it could be pretty mission aligned.
Btw I run a weekly newsletter about urbanism and while your trains may not be exactly related I think it's cool enough that we'll feature it in the upcoming week! https://urbanismnow.substack.com/
Hello! happy to see this on HN, I tested some of your mockups last year. How are you progressing now, do you see potential collab / competition with Nox? Kind regards,
I love the concept and the renders, but I wonder... is the spatial optimization really what's holding train travel back? If you decrease passenger density in order to increase privacy and comfort, do you then have a corresponding increase in ticket prices?
In places with good train travel, it seems like they already have several cabin classes, from sardine seats (still luxurious compared to air travel) to private cabins (at several multipliers of price). Pod style rooms would presumably be cheaper than that, but still a lot more expensive than a seat?
Then in places without high speed passenger rail, like the US, this wouldn't really be able to address the major problems with train travel (slowness, lower priority than freight, low reliability, etc.).
Under what scenarios would using pods instead of cabins be more economically viable? And could these be retrofitted into existing sleeper cars, or would they have to build entirely new trains?
How do you plan to handle groups or families with this system? Having larger compartments gives a lot of flexibility and allows families or groups to travel together easily and spend the time with each other. The hotel pods look like they only go up to two people in size, and the seats are very isolated from each other, not even allowing people to sit next to each other as far as I can see.
I'm excited to see more work being done to improve night train travel though!
Love this idea, I 100% will use it when it is live.
When traveling I often consider trains, and especially overnight trains. It's by far the most comfortable way to travel. Innovation in this space is a good thing.
While I'm aware that feature creepy is the enemy here, I would suggest a way to "combine " two pods for those traveling as a couple. If I'm traveling with my wife we don't want to be in "separate pods".
A retractable "wall" between 2 pods would be fine. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but you wanna point to something outside and say 'look at that' etc.
I feel like I'm missing something here but even after looking at the 3D view I can't figure it out - how are people meant to get into and out of the upper pods in the private seats?
Whatever you do, add ventilation and if you think you have added enough, add some more. If you do not believe me, go and visit some of Tokyos capsule hotels close to the party districts. Nothing is more worse than the feeling to breath what has very recently left intoxicated people from one or the other side. Also for the sake of avoiding drama on those trains, add snoring tests.
Great work so far, but I note you are looking at a custom double-decker railcar with what looks like a very large loading gauge. My understanding is that for most of Europe, double deckers are not used due to loading gauge limits imposed by tunnels, bridges and so on. I presume your planned routes take that into account? Is that one of the reasons your mocked journey planner app doesn’t include the UK?
Looks like some heavy inspiration from modern airline business class cabins? Love it
What's up with the super high carbon intensity estimate of your trains? Is it because they're running at night and can't use solar? Does it include embedded carbon in the train? Or is Germany's grid just that dirty?
Cool idea! Small typo on the landing page, in the media section it says "german nationa media" without the l
Sleeper trains are held back by flying getting subsidised heavily by not having kerosene taxed, and national governments giving airports effectively unlimited room to grow; happily externalising the environmental cost. Why take a train if you can fly for a fraction of the cost?
Trains in general are held back by governments not investing in rail infrastructure, because the pork barrel of another motorway link is so hard to resist (and we're not properly maintaining these either).
Sleeper trains are held back, because cross-boundary collaboration between the various semi-national rail companies is tough (for Europe).
Sleeper trains are held back, because there is a lack of modern rolling stock. Not completely new concepts; just up-to-date sleeper wagons (the ÖBB has the leading edge here now with their new wagons).
There is room for improvement in the wagon designs, but it is almost irrelevant in the face of the other challenges.