Factorydesign director to discuss how rail can learn from aviation
13/08/2025
Adam White, director at London-based Factorydesign, will explore how lessons from aviation can be applied to rail interiors when he takes to the stage at the upcoming Rail Interiors Show.
Drawing on decades of experience designing for both aircraft and trains, White believes there is untapped potential in how rail operators think about passenger experience – and how it can be elevated to meet modern expectations.
White’s transport design career began at Pentagram Design, working on updates to the British Rail HST 125 and the cab design for the Brush Class 89 locomotive. “It was an interesting introduction to the railway network…designing the cab and controls for the driver, learning about their function, the systems that connected to the infrastructure,” he recalled. He later joined Seymour Powell, where he was involved in a major tender for British Rail’s next generation of high-speed trains – a project which ended abruptly when British Rail was privatised.
From there, White’s career moved increasingly into aviation, where the industry’s approach to the passenger journey gave him valuable insights. In aviation, he explained, passenger experience is considered as part of a seamless process – from the moment a ticket is booked, to communications with the carrier, through to boarding and disembarking. “However, I think the transferable part, given how difficult it is to influence infrastructure, is that little bit in the middle, the cabin or carriage,” he said.
White believes one of aviation’s strengths has been its ability to refine product offerings over time to suit different passenger needs and budgets. “Premium economy was a brilliant observation, people could afford to buy more real estate, but not as much as afforded to Business Class passengers. Airlines have leveraged that intelligently,” he said. In contrast, UK rail tends to offer only “a coach product and for Business, the vestiges of a first-class product with a vacuum between the two.”
He sees this as a missed opportunity, especially as both leisure and business passengers are increasingly willing to pay for a better experience. While he doesn’t think lie-flat business class seats make sense for most UK routes, there is scope to reimagine broader amenities. “On a four-and-a-half hour trip to Edinburgh, I don’t want to lie down, but I might want to work. I need somewhere to put my stuff, power, maybe a bigger screen – really simple things like that,” he explained.
White is also a strong advocate for celebrating the unique advantages of train travel, such as scenic views and the ability to make the journey part of the overall experience. “A train journey can be part of the holiday, nothing beats looking out the window at dawn as you arrive in the Highlands,” he said, contrasting this with the limited views from an aircraft seat.
For him, the goal is not to directly copy aviation interiors, but to take the mindset of continuous improvement and adapt it to rail. “You’ve just got to maximise what it is people could most enjoy having,” he said. “Almost design things so they work for themselves – but make them relevant to the journey.”
Session: Maximising the passenger experience – learnings from aviation
Date: 25 November 2025
Time: 13:50 - 14:10
White’s transport design career began at Pentagram Design, working on updates to the British Rail HST 125 and the cab design for the Brush Class 89 locomotive. “It was an interesting introduction to the railway network…designing the cab and controls for the driver, learning about their function, the systems that connected to the infrastructure,” he recalled. He later joined Seymour Powell, where he was involved in a major tender for British Rail’s next generation of high-speed trains – a project which ended abruptly when British Rail was privatised.
From there, White’s career moved increasingly into aviation, where the industry’s approach to the passenger journey gave him valuable insights. In aviation, he explained, passenger experience is considered as part of a seamless process – from the moment a ticket is booked, to communications with the carrier, through to boarding and disembarking. “However, I think the transferable part, given how difficult it is to influence infrastructure, is that little bit in the middle, the cabin or carriage,” he said.
White believes one of aviation’s strengths has been its ability to refine product offerings over time to suit different passenger needs and budgets. “Premium economy was a brilliant observation, people could afford to buy more real estate, but not as much as afforded to Business Class passengers. Airlines have leveraged that intelligently,” he said. In contrast, UK rail tends to offer only “a coach product and for Business, the vestiges of a first-class product with a vacuum between the two.”
He sees this as a missed opportunity, especially as both leisure and business passengers are increasingly willing to pay for a better experience. While he doesn’t think lie-flat business class seats make sense for most UK routes, there is scope to reimagine broader amenities. “On a four-and-a-half hour trip to Edinburgh, I don’t want to lie down, but I might want to work. I need somewhere to put my stuff, power, maybe a bigger screen – really simple things like that,” he explained.
White is also a strong advocate for celebrating the unique advantages of train travel, such as scenic views and the ability to make the journey part of the overall experience. “A train journey can be part of the holiday, nothing beats looking out the window at dawn as you arrive in the Highlands,” he said, contrasting this with the limited views from an aircraft seat.
For him, the goal is not to directly copy aviation interiors, but to take the mindset of continuous improvement and adapt it to rail. “You’ve just got to maximise what it is people could most enjoy having,” he said. “Almost design things so they work for themselves – but make them relevant to the journey.”
Session: Maximising the passenger experience – learnings from aviation
Date: 25 November 2025
Time: 13:50 - 14:10