Bombardier high speed train wins design awards in USA and Germany

Bombardier Transportation has won the iF Product Design Award as well as the Good Design Award for its ground-breaking very high speed (VHS) train currently being developed for leading railway markets in Europe, Asia and North America.
March 13, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

513 Bombardier Transportation has won the iF Product Design Award as well as the Good Design Award for its ground-breaking very high speed (VHS) train currently being developed for leading railway markets in Europe, Asia and North America. The Zefiro train platform combines the highest capacity in the industry with pioneering levels of passenger comfort and employs leading-edge technologies and advanced aerodynamics to reduce energy consumption. The company says the technology exists to meet virtually any high speed requirement anywhere in the world.

The Zefiro high speed train platform can accommodate speed performance from 250-380 km/h (155-235 mph) and is highly flexible. Trains can significantly reduce travelling times between major cities and boost interregional economic growth.

The iF Product Design Award from Germany recognises design quality, finish, choice of materials, degree of innovation, environmental impact, functionality, safety as well as brand value.
This is also the third time in five years that Bombardier has won the Good Design Award for its train design. The award is conferred annually by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design together with the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

"These prestigious awards are testament to the Zefiro VHS train's innovative approach to very high speed travel," said Michael Sohn, team leader industrial design, Zefiro project, Bombardier Transportation.

The unique aerodynamic design of the Zefiro train family leads to superior cross wind stability, aerodynamic drag and pressure pulses. Bombardier Transportation is the first company in Europe to develop and apply an aluminum carbody for driving cars as well as trailer cars in the high speed segment, resulting in reduced weight and lower track wear as well as full compliance with stringent safety requirements. Other innovative developments include the Bombardier EBI Drive 50 driver assistance system and the company’s thermo efficient climatisation system. The company claims that these and other energy saving measures mean that Zefiro trains boast the lowest energy consumption per seat of any VHS train.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The growth of ITS service solutions providers
    July 26, 2012
    Econolite's new subsidiary Aegis ITS has been set up to address the increasingly complex and exacting needs of agencies in the ITS sector. Chief Operating Officer Doug Terry talks about the evolution to service solution provider. A few very notable and honourable exceptions notwithstanding, it is these days becoming increasingly rare to find a public agency which develops its own traffic management systems. Indeed, most now rely on specialist manufacturers and suppliers to fulfil their needs. This has the h
    Read More
  • Russia's high speed toll link - aims and opportunities
    July 31, 2012
    Construction of a new toll link between the Russian capital of Moscow and the country's second-largest city, the port of St Petersburg, is due to start in 2012. Here, ITS International takes look at the project to date and the opportunities for foreign companies to get involved. The construction of a new toll link between the Russian capital Moscow and the country's second-largest city St Petersburg has a number of aims. It will lead to the creation of a high-speed vehicular link between the two which will
    Read More
  • ITS Australia Awards 2024: the winners!
    February 16, 2024
    15th annual ITS Australia Awards in Brisbane reflected end-user safety and industry collaboration
    Read More
  • FTA supports A9 HGV speed limit trial
    October 10, 2014
    The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has given its support to the HGV speed limit trial which commences on the A9 in Scotland on Tuesday 28 October. The pilot project on the A9 will raise the speed limit on the single carriageway sections between Perth and Inverness from 40 to 50mph for heavy goods vehicles which have a laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes. The trial, which will last 36 months and is to be introduced at the same time as a new average speed camera system, is aimed at improving the opera
    Read More

Highlighted Content