Premium

Amtrak Premium

Sleep-First Train Car Redesign

Winter 2025 | 10 Weeks

Amtrak Premium

Sleep-First Train Car Redesign

2025

10 Weeks

Summary

Amtrak Premium is an overnight rail experience designed to support rest, comfort, and personal space on long-distance journeys.

Credits

Design Team - Alex Orelind & Nate Spurling
Brand Analysis - WWU ID Cohort 2025
‍Professor - Sarah Serpanos
Support - Teague DNR

Traveling overnight usually comes at the cost of sleep.
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Trains are well-suited for overnight travel — but remain underutilized.

Design Brief

Client: Amtrak
Framing: Long haul trip (8-12 hours)
Focus: Passenger sleep experience within the train
Structure: 12 person team divided into 4 sub-teams

Brand Audit of Amtrak

We began with a strategic brand audit, identifying what Amtrak currently conveys, where the brand could evolve, and how design can support that shift.

We developed five guiding principles to translate strategy into design decisions. They shaped how we approached form, materiality, interaction, and user comfort.

Intentional Affordances

Guide passengers using subtle cues, reducing effort and visual noise.

Restful Rhythms

Echo the train’s motion through form, light, and sensory flow.

Secure Comfort

Support privacy, rest, and a sense of safety through soft elements.

Enduring Styles

Use clean, timeless forms and durable, calming textures.

Supportive Technology

Keep tech discreet — there when needed, invisible when not.

Part of a full redesign by a 12 person team...

Coach
Premium
Roomette
Lavatory

Creating privacy in the seated position
A lay-flat experience balancing privacy and efficiency
A private room to accommodate a traveling pair
A lavatory experience that elevates personal routines

My team of 3 reimagined Premium Class — a new tier between Coach and Roomette

What makes it premium?

Lay Flat

Allowing passengers to lay fully horizontal for a full night's rest.

Adaptive Space

Giving passengers control over their immediate environment and flexible storage.

Balanced Privacy

Creating a sense of security and safety without relying on fully enclosed spaces.

Guiding passengers into their space

Toe-kick lighting provides a clear path into each pod.
Seat indicators assist wayfinding.

Transitioning into sleep

Upright posture for arrival and transition
Reclined posture for winding down
Sleeping posture for full rest through the night

Canopy

Creates a subtle shell around each passenger, offering privacy and a sense of personal space without feeling restrictive.