Coach design for the Helsinki underground

After more than 20 years of planning, an underground system will be opened in Helsinki in 1978. In 1972, a short line was constructed, with six coaches for experiments. This article describes an analysis of these coaches from the point of view of ergonomics. A travelling experiment was organised, designed to simulate the final travelling situation. After the experiment the subjects filled out a questionnaire. During the trip the behaviour of the subjects and their moving in and out was observed by two TV recorders and two film cameras. The passengers evaluated the fitness of the train in the following order of importance: 1. speed 2. cost 3. comfort. The results showed that the demands placed on the lay-out of the trains were not fulfilled in regard to speed. Although the general impression was positive, the number of handles and support pillars, too narrow passages and a lack of space for goods were features most often criticised. On the basis of these results, several alternative lay-outs have been developed, also proposals concerning dimensions of the doors, design and location of the handles, design of the seats, etc.