From Weinheim to Wuppertal:
A cult railway with cult floor at your feet

“The pulse of Wuppertal” is how the operators of the city’s suspension railway system are currently advertising their services. The railway itself is unique in the world and first began carrying passengers as far back as 1901. Four years ago, the university town in North Rhine-Westphalia also had its finger on the pulse of the times when it came to selecting the floor covering for the new generation of carriages. If you travel on the train today, crossing the city at sometimes considerable heights over a distance of more than 13 kilometres, you will see fresh shades of colour at your feet. Contributing to the modern look of Wuppertal’s landmark, ten carriages feature red floors, ten yellow, and another eleven are fitted with a green rubber flooring from the noraplan sentica range. The shades are picked up in the seat covers and blend harmoniously with the interiors, which are the work of the Berlin design agency büro+staubach. Upholstered seats provide added comfort, the centre aisle is wider than before, and there are special areas for buggies or wheelchairs.
 

The carriage windows were enlarged to let more light into the vehicle interior, which in turn emphasises the striking rubber flooring. Design was a decisive factor in the selection of the floor, as were the technical characteristics. The carriages of the suspension railway are required to meet the highest fire protection regulations, which is where nora floor coverings have a clear advantage. They are both fire-toxicologically safe (DIN 53436) and flame-retardant (EN 13501). Another factor that influenced the operator’s decision to go with nora is the durability of our floorings. Made entirely of rubber, they are colour dyed through their entire thickness and therefore do not need to be coated. They are also virtually impervious to scratches or other damage. The design team selected noraplan sentica floorings, which appear almost uni-coloured, barely show dirt and are easy to clean. Ultimately, this project brought a dash of fresh colour as well as important functional properties to a traditional landmark that does not stop at innovations.

Project at a glance