Urban Transport

Train seating area folds back to take bikes as needed

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All four seats can be folded back for bicycle parking at peak hours
SOBdirect
All four seats can be folded back for bicycle parking at peak hours
SOBdirect
The seats can reportedly be folded back in just a few seconds
SOBdirect
The seats are available to all passengers when not folded
SOBdirect
View gallery - 3 images

While it's always important to accommodate bicycle commuters, bike parking spots on trains can't seat non-cyclists when not in use. An experimental setup currently being trialled in Switzerland, however, may soon change that.

The transformable seating area is presently being tested on a Stadler FLIRT (Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train) passenger car operated by Switzerland's Schweizerische Südostbahn (SOB) rail line.

At times or on days when there are typically few bicycle commuters taking the train, the four seats are configured just like those on the rest of the train, complete with headrests and contoured backrests. This allows them to be used by passengers who would otherwise have to stand if the rest of the car's seats were taken.

The seats are available to all passengers when not folded
SOBdirect

At other times, when cyclists are anticipated, rail line employees can quickly and easily fold all four seats so they sit flat against the wall. Doing so reveals a bicycle symbol on the floor, letting everyone know the area's intended purpose. A similar seating area across the aisle provides storage space for luggage when its seats are folded.

Importantly, while the seats themselves are special, they can be mounted on a FLIRT car's existing attachment points. This means that no modifications have to be made to trains using the system, keeping costs down and making implementation easy.

The seats can reportedly be folded back in just a few seconds
SOBdirect

The setup is part of the federally funded one-year Innovative Flächenbewirtschaftung im Zug (Innovative Space Management on Trains) pilot project, which started last month and runs until this December.

You can see how the seating area gets reconfigured, in the animation below.

Source: SOBdirect

View gallery - 3 images
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5 comments
Papp Sándor Dávid
Stupid waste of money.
Train seats shouldn't be folded for bicycles.
Instead, bicycles should be folded for travelling on trains.
pbethel
Height of entitlement. I ride a bicycle so I deserve 5 seats. 1 for me and 4 for my bike.
veryken
Folding eight seats to accommodate two, maybe three bicycles. I’m a cyclist myself but also a space-saving designer. This is stupid.
PAV
This should be good for mobility devices (three and four wheel scooters) as well. But I don't understand is why Personnel have to do it why can't any rider do it? I wouldn't stop at this design I would put a little jump seat on the back of the seats so when folded in you can pop down a little jump seat to sit in while you hold your bike. Also I like this design and I think it would go really well in a RV or tiny house especially if it could then be folded down to make a bed. But you can move it out of the way when you need the floor space like during the day or when you're not eating.
ReservoirPup
Anything that encourages cycling and walking is beneficial to society however extravagant it may look to unattended.