Enjoy the journey with NSB

The specially designed fabric "Nyt reisen (Enjoy the journey)" is upholstered on NSB's new train set Flirt, which was launched in 2011. The design concept was developed by Dinamo Design, and the fabric was designed and developed by Scenario Interiørarkitekter and Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik.

Interiors in trains face special challenges in relation to stress, and Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik therefore also developed a complete cleaning and maintenance concept linked to the fabric. The fabric is woven in shades of grey, with small and capital letters that slide into each other. Only three words are clear: "Velkommen (Welcome)" and "Nyt reisen (Enjoy the journey)". The textile can be found on most trains in Norway - with over 15,000 seats upholstered in the fabric.

On Monday, NSB presented the first of a total of 50 new trains that NSB will receive from the Swiss manufacturer Stadler. According to NSB, this is the largest single investment they have ever made, with a total price tag of around NOK four billion.

According to NSB, the new trainsets must be particularly well adapted to Norwegian winter conditions, including internally positioned engines, snow ploughs, snow melting systems and other well-proven technologies. Thus, one hopes that the winter chaos that has occasionally characterized the railways in Norway will be less intrusive when everyone is put on schedule from 2012 onwards.

In the new National Transport Plan, the government has a significant focus on the train being accessible to everyone and universal design has been particularly important. Universal design was one of the evaluation criteria when the train was chosen. Over 60 per cent of the train has a low floor and all entrances are adapted to the adopted standard for platform height in Norway. Clear markings, good information systems and spacious disabled toilets in connection with wheelchair spaces are some of the universally designed offers, writes NSB in its presentation of the new trains.

According to NSB, an intensive period of testing, approval for use in Norway and training of NSB personnel now awaits before the train is put into service in 2012. First, the train will be deployed on the Skien - Lillehammer section.

Here are more facts about the new trains:

50 new train sets (24 regional, 26 local trains)
The trains have 5 carriages and are 105.5 meters long
The regional trains have 263 seats
The local trains have 295 seats
Top speed: 200 km/h
Produced that Swiss Standler Bussang

When disembarking and boarding:

All entrances have low floors and are adapted to the standard platform height of 760mm above the rail top

All entrances have a door opening of 1300 mm

All entrances have a movable, contrast-marked step in two heights. The step at level 760mm will cover the gap between train and platform

69 percent of the train has a low floor

10 percent of the seats on the train are marked as priority seats

Wheelchairs: Wheelchair lifts at an entrance