Trenitalia UK’s John Davidson brings behavioural science to train design
12/09/2025
At the upcoming Rail Interiors Show, John Davidson, group head of customer experience at Trenitalia UK, will be exploring how behavioural science can transform rail interiors in his session.
Trenitalia UK, part of FS Italiane, plays a growing role in the UK rail sector. The company is a shareholder in the West Coast Partnership, which operates Avanti and serves as the shadow operator for HS2. It is also preparing to launch new services from London to Paris. Davidson’s role sits at the heart of customer strategy: “I basically am the person who helps share that knowledge of running successful high-speed railways and intercity railways into the UK market, particularly in the commercial and customer sphere.”
His presentation stems from a challenge familiar to anyone designing long-term assets: predicting what passengers will want decades into the future. “High-speed trains are around for 30 or 40 years, and it’s almost impossible to guess what will be on trend in 2040,” Davidson explained. “Rather than chasing trends, we turned it on its head and focused on people and why they buy into trends. Those underlying human needs don’t change.”
This approach draws on behavioural biases to create designs that feel intuitive and timeless. One example is the need for belonging, or “in-group bias.” Davidson highlighted how interiors can reflect regional or cultural identity to foster connection. “Think about the London Underground moquette, it creates a sense of community,” he said. Similarly, layouts can be designed to accommodate social groups without disturbing solo travellers seeking quiet.
Underlying these design choices are universal needs. “The everlasting human needs we see are things like safety, belonging, recognition, autonomy, fairness, meaning and comfort,” Davidson said. “If you design well for those, the rest follows.”
Looking ahead, he sees digitalisation as a major opportunity to personalise rail travel. “Right now, passengers are anonymous. In the future, we’ll know more about who you are and be able to match you with services that suit you best. Linking digital insight with physical design could be really powerful.”
Davidson’s message to the industry is clear: think holistically. “Too often interiors are designed as separate systems, seats, luggage racks, toilets. But people experience the whole train, not its parts. If we design around people’s core needs, we can create trains that feel relevant and welcoming for decades.”
Session: Designing train travel for the human mind
Date: 25 November 2025
Time: 11:45 - 12:15
His presentation stems from a challenge familiar to anyone designing long-term assets: predicting what passengers will want decades into the future. “High-speed trains are around for 30 or 40 years, and it’s almost impossible to guess what will be on trend in 2040,” Davidson explained. “Rather than chasing trends, we turned it on its head and focused on people and why they buy into trends. Those underlying human needs don’t change.”
This approach draws on behavioural biases to create designs that feel intuitive and timeless. One example is the need for belonging, or “in-group bias.” Davidson highlighted how interiors can reflect regional or cultural identity to foster connection. “Think about the London Underground moquette, it creates a sense of community,” he said. Similarly, layouts can be designed to accommodate social groups without disturbing solo travellers seeking quiet.
Underlying these design choices are universal needs. “The everlasting human needs we see are things like safety, belonging, recognition, autonomy, fairness, meaning and comfort,” Davidson said. “If you design well for those, the rest follows.”
Looking ahead, he sees digitalisation as a major opportunity to personalise rail travel. “Right now, passengers are anonymous. In the future, we’ll know more about who you are and be able to match you with services that suit you best. Linking digital insight with physical design could be really powerful.”
Davidson’s message to the industry is clear: think holistically. “Too often interiors are designed as separate systems, seats, luggage racks, toilets. But people experience the whole train, not its parts. If we design around people’s core needs, we can create trains that feel relevant and welcoming for decades.”
Session: Designing train travel for the human mind
Date: 25 November 2025
Time: 11:45 - 12:15