BMW Designers Create BART Fleet of the Future

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) regional transit provider is currently aiming at providing commuters with a viable alternative to driving, and has thus decided to turn to the design consultancy and subsidiary of BMW Group, DesignworksUSA, to make it happen.

The specialists are renown for their expertise in creating premium design and user experiences not only in the train category, but also in the aviation and automotive categories.

BMW DesignworksUSA and BART have thus announced the start of an ambitious urban transit project, which will see the designers 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, currently 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,” Schaffer continues.