Transport Design Student tackles UK rail problems

A final year Transport Design student from Coventry University has taken on the challenge of improving the UK’s rail system, making it easier for people to leave their cars at home.

Scott Allan, 21, from Huddersfield, chose to focus his final Degree Show project on this topic after researching the problems arising from the significant increase in passenger numbers on our trains over recent years.

With issues such as overcrowding and delays on the rise, Scott has designed a vehicle which could cope with increasing demand, and hopefully, lead to less reliance on cars.

With this in mind, he created a lightweight and compact vehicle that provides a continuous stream of trains at peak times and offers passengers a faster journey with minimal stops. This new system makes use of the existing heavy rail network, with the ability to transfer to other lines within cities. Run on a ‘when needed’ basis, you would request a vehicle once at a station and passengers will be grouped by their destinations, offering a more efficient service.

Scott said:

I have achieved a lot during my time at Coventry University and this project pushed me one last time to create an imaginative solution for our everyday transport problems.

Scott has previously worked on projects as wide ranging a designing a catering vehicle for a theme park, culminating in a visit to a Colombian University, to designing a kitchen appliance from a brief set by a top design consultancy. 

This project also links in with the University’s Grand Challenge Initiative in Integrated Transport and Logistics – one of six key global themes that have been identified as areas where Coventry University’s expertise and applied research capabilities can have a significant impact.

The Coventry University Industrial Design Degree Show will be held in the Maurice Foss Building on Cox Street, Coventry city centre. Entry is free and will be open to public from 2nd -10th June 2012.