DesignworksUSA started an ambitious urban transit project in collaboration with Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the Bay Area's regional transit provider. Together with BART, DesignworksUSA will create the "Fleet of the Future," a new generation of train cars that will enter service by 2017 and deliver a premium ridership experience for its passengers. BART, which began picking up passengers in September 1973, presently operates the oldest fleet of train cars in the USA.
DesignworksUSA's scope of work for BART's Fleet of the Future includes the train cars' exterior, which will convey a style and shape with unique signature expression to the exterior passenger information system. Inside the new train cars, DesignworksUSA will create the main interior design features of the new train cars, and incorporate the controls in the design of the train operator's cab.
"DesignworksUSA is invigorated to join BART in their continuing commitment to delivering a premium ridership experience," said Laurenz Schaffer, President, BMW Group DesignworksUSA. "We are passionate about creating innovative solutions for mobility in increasingly dense urban centers such as the Bay Area, and we are excited as our collaborative partnership with BART gets underway."
BART's mission is to provide commuters with a viable alternative to driving, and therefore DesignworksUSA's deep expertise creating premium design and user experiences not only in the train category, but also in the aviation and automotive categories, was a key differentiator that further guided their selection for this project.