GVB service desks

Public transport — Amsterdam

An open service concept for 151 Amsterdam trams, from the first mock-up to a full roll-out.

Summary

For GVB, we designed, produced and installed the new service desks for 151 Combino trams in Amsterdam. What started as a request for a more open conductor's position grew into an intensive process in which we developed the layout together with GVB, tested mock-ups and then rolled the concept out across the entire fleet at a fast pace.

Client

GVB

Sector

Public transport

Location

Amsterdam

Completed

2018

GVB service desks — Hemlock fitter at the service desk during the overnight conversion in the depot

The brief

GVB wanted to replace the traditional, enclosed conductor's cabin with an open service point that better suits the conductor's role as a visible point of contact for passengers. Hemlock took care of both the design and the realisation of the new service desk.

GVB service desks — conductor behind the service desk talking to a passenger

GVB service desks — Combino tram with open doors and the illuminated service desk

Design and mock-ups

The design came out of an ideation process together with GVB. We looked not only at the desk itself, but also at the chair, the conductor's working posture and the layout of the whole cabin.

In our showroom we built several mock-ups of desks, chairs and cabin layouts. GVB staff assessed them together with us, so their hands-on experience went straight into the design.

The result is a desk that is functional and safe to use, stands up to intensive daily service and fits logically within the existing tram interior.

GVB service desks — the service desk with its illuminated i-Service lettering, seen through the open tram doors

Roll-out

After the development phase we rolled the service desk out across all 151 Combino trams. The conversion took place at night in the depot, by a dedicated build team: every morning the trams had to be ready for service again.

That called for a tightly controlled process in which removal, installation and finishing fitted together precisely in a short time. The time-lapse video shows how that night-time conversion went, step by step.

From concept to series

This project shows that Hemlock does more than make bespoke work: we develop a product concept, test it with the people who use it and then roll it out in series, in an environment where downtime has to be kept to a minimum.

Credits

Design, engineering, production & installation:: Hemlock Interior & Projects
Solid surface:: Solid Factory

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