The design of rail vehicles, in particular the boarding area and the interior, has a significant influence on the passenger exchange time. The vehicle design is overlaid with passenger-specific characteristics such as age, mobility restrictions and, in particular, baggage. Poorly designed vehicle layouts mean that some of the seats cannot be used and the degree of capacity utilization achievable and thus customer comfort are noticeably reduced. In particular, however, poorly designed vehicles significantly prolong passenger exchange times, which leads to frequent delays and thus to a decline in operating quality.
Based on almost twenty years of intensive research in the field of passenger behaviour in passenger trains, the technical paper will show clear approaches to solutions, how a good design of rail vehicles can increase the degree of utilisation and at the same time the customer comfort, how the passenger exchange time and thus the dwell time can be significantly reduced and thus the operational quality can be significantly increased in addition to other important advantages

dwell time, vehicle design, punctuality