Engineered leather ELeather
Rail revolution
With Europe’s rail market set to open up in 2020,
operators may have to offer more competitive interiors
E urope’s railways are about to experience a revolution.
In 2020, the European Commission’s Fourth Railway
Package comes into effect on Europe’s rail network,
enabling operators from any country to enter any EU market and
compete with incumbent train companies.
The plan is to create a single European rail area, similar to
the European Common Aviation Area, which has brought increased
competition and innovation to air travel.
“However, the impact on train operators will be far greater
than for airlines, because the experience of rail travel changes
so drastically between countries,” says Nico Den Ouden, global
sales and marketing director at ELeather. “As a new era of
competition dawns, railway operators can no longer afford to rest
on their laurels and rely on their traditional monopolies. They will
have to invest in reimagining the entire passenger experience if
they are to retain their market share.”
Diverse cultures
Europe offers a huge range of railway experiences. The train
journey from London, UK, to Istanbul, Turkey, illustrates this
perfectly. The journey begins on the sleek and stylish Eurostar,
Railway Interiors International ANNUAL SHOWCASE 2019 68
before transferring onto one of Deutsche Bahn’s ICE trains, where
you can buy freshly poured draught beer served in real glasses as
you barrel along at up to 300km/h (186mph).
At Munich, Germany, you transfer to a Croatian sleeper before
embarking on the final leg of the journey. “This is likely to feel very
different to previous trains,” says Den Ouden. “The comfortable
design and passenger perks have probably now been replaced
by a No Smoking sign that is more advisory than mandatory.”
Modern preferences
There is joy to be had in all these experiences, but given the
choice, most passengers would choose a clean, fast and
comfortable journey in a modern carriage.
“That’s why incumbent train operators may be counting down
the days until the advent of the Fourth Railway Package with some
nervousness, since it will mean that they will have to compete
with companies who can provide significantly more luxurious
experiences,” says Den Ouden.
While revamping an entire railway takes more than a lick of
paint, it doesn’t mean that operators need to spend hundreds of
millions on entirely new trainsets. “With a few small touches, train
ABOVE:
ELeather’s
Rail collection
is designed to
be lightweight,
easy to
maintain and
ensure better
passenger
experiences
RIGHT: Colour
capabilities are
endless and
can be matched
to the needs of
any brand
INSET RIGHT:
ELeather’s
engineered
leather looks
and feels
like leather