Transport Secretary supports PG’s future rail vision
The UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP, recently visited PriestmanGoode’s Proteus demonstrator in Marylebone Station, London. The visit was an opportunity to showcase how design innovation and collaboration across the UK supply chain can revolutionise future rail interiors and contribute to the goal of bringing more passengers back to rail.
Joining the Secretary of State were Kirsty Dias, Managing Director of PriestmanGoode, Richard Allan, Managing Director of Chiltern Railways and David Jordan, Chief Operating Officer at Angel Trains, who both sponsored PriestmanGoode in the development of Proteus.
Kirsty Dias said: “The Proteus rail interior responds to changing patterns of travel since the pandemic, and supports the goal of encouraging more passengers back to rail travel. The funding has allowed innovation to progress from a concept to a product that’s validated by public testing. The two weeks with passengers at Marylebone have been invaluable by providing answers to the questions that TOCs and ROSCOs will have as we take Proteus to the market”.
David Jordan, COO of Angel Trains, said: “It was a pleasure to speak to Grant Shapps about our joint venture with PriestmanGoode and Chiltern Railways at the Marylebone Station demonstration. We hope these new designs will be the beginning of better aligning our train interiors with passenger priorities in a post-pandemic world”.
The development of Proteus was funded through the Department of Transport’s First of a Kind (FOAK) competition. As a supporter of FOAK and a champion for future rail innovation, the Secretary of State has shared his response to Proteus across a number of social media platforms, highlighting his admiration for the concept’s objective to optimise rail passenger experiences with more flexibility and improved comfort.
UK supply chain partners for the project include Quantum Seating Limited, Altro, Muirhead and Replin / AW Hainsworth, with the demonstrator constructed by RENND.
