ABACUS – Revitalizing Rural Light Rail

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

Industrial Design Project by:

Konstantin Wolf
Lea Haats
Erik Mantz-Hansen

2021 Muthesius University Kiel, Germany

What is ABACUS?

ABACUS is a public transportation concept focusing on carrying the values of a long decommissioned rural train route to the present day in order to develop a new understanding of rural mobility. The concept is based on utilizing short, regional routes. In this case, the route is 3.2 km long and connects the northern German village of Gross Rönnau with its closest city Bad Segeberg. Thanks to the short track, ABACUS can reach every point on the route with only one cart in less than three minutes. Instead of rigid schedules and train stops, ABACUS envisions a flexible hop on hop off system in order to attribute the track itself and surrounding nature with central importance.

The problem we identified

To achieve the goals set to combat climate change, we need to rethink our approach to both energy and mobility. To make the way we travel sustainable, a re-evaluation of our dependence on the automobile, especially in rural areas, is necessary. In this regard, public transportation by rail presents itself as a suitable candidate to minimize individual mobility. That is why it is important to make public transportation more attractive in order to compete with the comfort of the automobile.
When looking at the German traffic network, a pronounced imbalance becomes apparent. The infrastructure for cars and streets dominates the infrastructure for trains and rail disproportionately. In the last 100 years, the state of Schleswig Holstein alone has discontinued over half of its rail routes. One of these routes was the old local route that connected the small city of Bad Segeberg with the state capital Kiel through 49 km of rail, representing an important social and economic factor to the region. B

How we solved it

In order to make the ABACUS light rail as accessible and flexible as possible, passengers can stop the vehicle to enter and exit the vehicle at all times by using the simple gesture of waving, which is recognized by cameras on board. The rails asymmetrically run along one side of the trail, leaving enough space for pedestrians and cyclists. The product architecture of ABACUS is designed specifically for hop on hop off interaction. The radically open sides and low floor of the vehicle enable maximum accessibility. Two handrails secure the sides of the interior, acting as a medium for new ways of sitting, leaning and holding on while experiencing the surrounding nature during travel.