Viktor Brejcha on the real art of rail design
22/10/2025
Viktor Brejcha, a specialist in composite materials at Siemens Mobility, will be exploring how design teams can balance safety, aesthetics, and durability without losing sight of manufacturability.
At this year’s Railway Interiors Show, Viktor Brejcha, Materials Engineer at Siemens Mobility, will discuss how design teams can balance safety, aesthetics, and durability without losing sight of manufacturability. Speaking with Rail Interiors ahead of the event, he reflected on the daily realities of engineering modern train interiors, and why success often comes down to one aspect: communication.
Your presentation explores how aesthetics, safety, and durability shape material selection. How do you strike the right balance between these competing priorities?
“It’s an everyday war or fight between all these aspects,” Brejcha admitted. “You have the aesthetic requirements, the durability, and then the need to manufacture it efficiently. It’s very difficult, and you always must make some kind of sacrifice. The optimal way is usually the middle way.”
He said that balance comes from collaboration rather than compromise. “Very often it’s not about finding the perfect solution, it’s about finding the connection between the parties. The designers, the customers, the suppliers, everyone needs to understand the reasons behind each decision.”
What will you be highlighting during your talk at the Railway Interiors Show?
“I’ll focus on that engineering point,” he explained. “We can design something beautiful, but it must also meet regulations and be manufacturable. The presentation will look at how we link all those elements together, from design to production.”
How has the role of the engineer changed in today’s rail projects?
“The era of the engineer who just sits and draws is over,” Brejcha said. “To be successful today, you must handle the schedule, talk to purchasing, and explain your decisions to project management. Sometimes it feels like we spend more time in Excel and Word than in CAD, but that’s the complexity required to succeed.”
Experience, he added, remains critical. “You remember what worked last year, what failed five years ago, and what’s realistic in terms of cost. When you look at a new design, you already know which way will be challenging and which is feasible.”
You mentioned that communication is central to success. What does that look like in practice?
“Communication, communication, communication,” he repeated. “That’s the domain of success in our industry. You must talk constantly, with suppliers, with customers, with every department, so everyone knows why a choice was made. That’s how you prevent problems later.”
What value does the Railway Interiors Show hold for you and Siemens Mobility?
“It challenges you,” Brejcha said. “I’m very competitive, so I like to sit in the trains of our competitors and see how things are done. One thing is to see the design, but the real magic is behind what you see, in the engineering.”
The event, he added, provides rare opportunities for honest exchange. “Most of our suppliers also work with our competitors, so at the fair you can meet, shake hands, and realise we’re all facing the same challenges. And when I can see a design, touch it, feel it, that’s very important. It’s always beneficial.”
And what message will you leave attendees with?
“The perfect material doesn’t exist,” Brejcha concluded. “But with communication and understanding, we can always find the best possible balance.”
Viktor Brejcha will present “On the Right Track: Overcoming Challenges in Siemens Mobility’s Railway Composite Supply Chain” on Day 2 of The Rail Interiors Show. Book your free delegate pass today by clicking here.
Your presentation explores how aesthetics, safety, and durability shape material selection. How do you strike the right balance between these competing priorities?
“It’s an everyday war or fight between all these aspects,” Brejcha admitted. “You have the aesthetic requirements, the durability, and then the need to manufacture it efficiently. It’s very difficult, and you always must make some kind of sacrifice. The optimal way is usually the middle way.”
He said that balance comes from collaboration rather than compromise. “Very often it’s not about finding the perfect solution, it’s about finding the connection between the parties. The designers, the customers, the suppliers, everyone needs to understand the reasons behind each decision.”
What will you be highlighting during your talk at the Railway Interiors Show?
“I’ll focus on that engineering point,” he explained. “We can design something beautiful, but it must also meet regulations and be manufacturable. The presentation will look at how we link all those elements together, from design to production.”
How has the role of the engineer changed in today’s rail projects?
“The era of the engineer who just sits and draws is over,” Brejcha said. “To be successful today, you must handle the schedule, talk to purchasing, and explain your decisions to project management. Sometimes it feels like we spend more time in Excel and Word than in CAD, but that’s the complexity required to succeed.”
Experience, he added, remains critical. “You remember what worked last year, what failed five years ago, and what’s realistic in terms of cost. When you look at a new design, you already know which way will be challenging and which is feasible.”
You mentioned that communication is central to success. What does that look like in practice?
“Communication, communication, communication,” he repeated. “That’s the domain of success in our industry. You must talk constantly, with suppliers, with customers, with every department, so everyone knows why a choice was made. That’s how you prevent problems later.”
What value does the Railway Interiors Show hold for you and Siemens Mobility?
“It challenges you,” Brejcha said. “I’m very competitive, so I like to sit in the trains of our competitors and see how things are done. One thing is to see the design, but the real magic is behind what you see, in the engineering.”
The event, he added, provides rare opportunities for honest exchange. “Most of our suppliers also work with our competitors, so at the fair you can meet, shake hands, and realise we’re all facing the same challenges. And when I can see a design, touch it, feel it, that’s very important. It’s always beneficial.”
And what message will you leave attendees with?
“The perfect material doesn’t exist,” Brejcha concluded. “But with communication and understanding, we can always find the best possible balance.”
Viktor Brejcha will present “On the Right Track: Overcoming Challenges in Siemens Mobility’s Railway Composite Supply Chain” on Day 2 of The Rail Interiors Show. Book your free delegate pass today by clicking here.