Transport Hubs & Interchanges

At SYSTRA, we understand how to help transport operators and authorities create integrated, accessible and easy-to-use transport interchanges that meet the demands of today’s transport users, workers and local communities.

Transport interchanges need to be flexible enough to cater for people of different ages and abilities with a variety of agendas and differing activity patterns throughout the day. They need to enable commuters to move through the space quickly and intuitively, while giving leisure travellers more time to find their way, stop, wait and re-group.

Why transport interchanges matter

Interchanges are the transport gateways that enable people to get around safely and efficiently. They often provide the first glimpse of a destination for visitors. They may incorporate railway, light rail, bus and underground stations, which need to be interconnected and easy to navigate between. Interchanges also need to integrate with pedestrian and cycling networks, to encourage active travel and cater for emerging modes, such as scooters.

Further considerations in transport interchange design include commercial and retail opportunities connected to the hub, car parking provision and access, provision of wayfinding and journey-planning information, accessibility for people with sensory or mobility impairments, and integration into the wider public realm. Integrating all of this within a transport interchange creates a ‘mobility hub’, which supports a seamless user experience and provides a valuable community amenity.

Best practice in transport interchange design

Our benefits-led approach is an integral part of our delivery model. By blending systems thinking with digital design and innovation, SYSTRA drives supply chain performance while delivering user-centric solutions. 

• Feel safe to use at all times and have well overlooked places where people are comfortable and enjoy being.

• Be accessible for all – if we design for all users, including the most vulnerable, everyone benefits.

• Be connected by legible, direct and attractive walking and cycling routes to the surrounding area.

• Exploit the potential for direct interchange with other transport modes – making it easy and attractive to get from the train to light rail or the bus.

• Be located to make the most of local assets and amenities – opening the door to key leisure, employment and community opportunities.

• Be attractive places that make the most of local development opportunities and create a sense of place and arrival.

Maximising the social and economic value of transport interchanges

By recognising the wider role of transport interchanges, and the areas around them, our transport sector specialists ensure that we get the functional aspects of interchange design and delivery right, but also that we shape them to maximise economic and social opportunities.

By approaching mobility hub design with this wider context in mind, we ensure they play a key role in creating more accessible, inclusive and attractive towns and cities where people want to live and work. If we get this right, mobility hubs can be a catalyst for economic growth, quality of life enhancement and improved employment opportunities in our urban areas.

Transport interchange design and consultancy services

At SYSTRA, we are committed to making this happen for transport interchanges and other transport investments – helping to shape travel and transport in cities and towns in ways that create places that people will enjoy. We offer a range of services to help towns and cities create these future-focused transport interchanges: