Sometimes, Patience Pays Off A Case Study Part 1

It was the end of September 2010 in Quebec, Canada. A gorgeous day at the beginning of falls. Our enthusiasm was at its peak, we were kicking off the Metrolinx light rail vehicle project with the team at Bombardier Transport. 

We left that first meeting with a 44-item action list, an immense workload and multiple ergonomics and styling challenges ahead of us!

At the time, Bombardier had been awarded the contract for the development and delivery of a unique light rail vehicle. This new platform, adapted from a license owned by Bombardier, was going to be positioned in a segment, faster than a regular city tram, slower than a train. It would help the Ontario Waterloo region move their people faster and in the most efficient way and therefore stop the slow erosion towards the rural space and increase the density of the downtown area in the years to come.

From the designer’s point of view, the existing license from which we would create our concept had specific visual cues that did not match the promises of a sleek, rapid transit vehicle. An additional set of roadside doors would have to be added in the passenger area, so the interior layout had to be re designed, as well as the tram driver area.

As with most products Brio Innovation designs, we applied our proven expertise and design process to find the best solutions for Bombardier, their client Metrolinx and, of course, the light rail vehicle users and drivers.

One of the biggest challenges was to give a unique personality to an existing product architecture, slaloming between fix hard points and strict regulation. True believers in collaborative efforts, the team at Bombardier was challenged into helping Brio play their tricks of the trade to give the light rail vehicle a contemporary look. The team at Bombardier was supportive, lenient and understood what we were trying to achieve. As an example, multiple roof elements located at the front of the tram, were relocated backward, allowing a more flowing styling of the front end. 

Part 2 of this case study will discuss the other challenges the team at Brio Innovation faced with the design of the interior of this unique project.

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