Biddle Products Helping To Keep Rail Passengers Warm
Specification Online recently reported on the collaboration between Biddle BV, a branch of Biddle Air Systems, and Dutch railway operator NS Stations.
The railway firm appointed Biddle to provide air curtains for its new stations in major cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. As opposed to the functional yet cold Dutch railway stations of the past, these new sites will be more comfortable and more commercially-minded, featuring restaurants and shops for waiting passengers.
A key element of these renovations is improving the environment within the stations, which is where the air curtains come in. Air curtains can significantly improve comfort levels for both staff and customers within a building by reducing the amount of cold air that comes in, whilst preventing the warm, internal air from escaping. Not only does this regulate internal temperatures, but it can also help to bring down energy costs as less energy is wasted unnecessarily.
Commenting on the project, Biddle BV's sales manager Aize Broersma stated: "We were approached because of our expertise in air curtain installations, our ability to configure bespoke solutions and the five-year warranty we offer. We worked closely with them to configure a high-performance, energy efficient solution." She added that railway stations are "notoriously difficult to heat," and until now many installations from alternative suppliers had been ineffective at regulating temperatures within these buildings.
Using the Invisidor CA2 model - whose automatic intelligent control provides energy savings of up to 75% compared to manual controls - the air curtains were able to offer the highest possible levels of efficiency and performance, resulting in maximum comfort for travellers.
Expectations are already being surpassed, claims Broersma, with the technology supporting the client's aim of "maximising revenues through customer-friendly retail environments." This means that it will soon be rolled out to more stations in the country.