Hamba-kahle : an interior intervention to long-distance rail travel in South Africa

Abstract

Public rail transport interiors must be adaptable and cater to a wide target market to address the diverse needs of the South African public. Local rail transport competes directly with air travel for market share. Currently, local rail transport fails on both accounts. The failure to invest in and update rail infrastructure has resulted in a desperate need to play catch up with decades of international railway evolution – a need especially visible in the interiors of local long-haul trains. The design and aesthetic identity of transport interiors are generic, dated and fail to address the functional and aesthetic needs of contemporary South African travellers. As a result, these interiors fail to establish an identity synonymous with our unique demographic makeup. The current state of local long-haul passenger rail interiors was investigated through the use of a heuristic inquiry. An Electro Star Multiple Unit train structure was then selected in which an interior insertion is made. Hamba-Kahle addresses the physical and psychological discomfort in the train interior, the absence of social spaces, the disregard for wayfinding and the lack of contextual identity. The design challenges the insular train interior layout and divides the interior into different spatial zones. A Budget Sitter car, Premium Sitter car, Budget Sleeper and Universal Car provides seating variation for passengers and in turn integrates a wide target market. Break-away spaces are also incorporated. The programme and the spaces it creates assist the interior in mediating between private and public spaces. It facilitates chance encounters and supports retractable privacy. The interior reinforces adaptability in the use of spaces while adhering to universal design principles. The scenery from the surrounding landscapes is used in the design to enrich the interior spaces and improve the embodied experience of the user. In establishing a contemporary South African identity, a sense of place is created with which passengers can identify and feel physically, psychologically and socially comfortable in.