DCA Design International (www.dca-design.com), Warwick, has won a deal that will see its team design the interiors of Hitachi’s new Super Express Trains, which are a key part of the Government’s £5.8 billion Intercity Express Programme.

As part of the design project, DCA — which last year won the Queen’s Award for its achievements in international trade — will construct a full size mock-up of all the passenger interiors as well as an interior and exterior mock-up of the driver’s cab.

DCA will then use the mock-up for ergonomic validation of the design against the relevant accessibility standards; the mock-up will also allow Hitachi to physically demonstrate the ‘finished product’ to the relevant project ‘stakeholders’.

DCA director Rob Bassil said: “These new trains will offer passengers a step change in reliability, capacity and comfort, and Hitachi has challenged us to deliver an iconic interior design to underline these benefits.

“We are very excited by the prospect and have put the right staff, resources and processes in place to support Hitachi in doing exactly that.”