Vision Panel
Panarooma – train restaurant of the future
Panarooma puts people at the heart of the experience
Why do people love their cars? Because they give them the feeling that they can shape every journey around their individual needs. Together with renowned industry partners, such as Bucher, Probatec and Lantal, zweigrad Design is bringing this very principle to rail travel. Panarooma is the vision of a train restaurant that puts people at the heart of the experience: AI, automation, high-quality interior design and exploratory interfaces come together to create a personalised experience that enhances every journey.
From the moment they book, passengers can look forward to a wide range of options. In the double-decker train restaurant, they can choose between different experiential spaces designed for work, relaxation, dining or social interaction. The visionary concept also includes carefully staged moments – for example, when an illuminated menu bowl appears to rise from the table by itself, turning the act of serving into a small ritual. zweigrad Design and its rail industry partners will celebrate the world premiere of Panarooma in September 2026 at InnoTrans.
We believe that the quality of the travel experience is what makes the difference. That is why we have reimagined the train restaurant of the future. When rail journeys genuinely inspire and delight people, they are far more willing to leave the car at home.
Birte Jürgensen
Three pillars for the train restaurant of the future
Fully automated restaurant
A fully automated galley spanning both levels prepares the food. Specially developed MealPods are delivered directly to passengers’ seats via an integrated rail system known as “Food Lanes” or by autonomous service robots. The automated system also handles logistical tasks such as waste disposal.
Flexible experience spaces
Because everyone travels differently, the Panarooma carriage offers a variety of areas, including exclusive private compartments, seating at the panoramic bar and ergonomic workspaces equipped with Active Noise Control and switchable privacy screens. Every passenger can decide for themselves how they wish to spend the journey.
Personalisation through invisible AI
From the moment passengers check in, their individual needs shape the course of their journey. Personalised information appears on their own devices or directly on intelligent furniture surfaces within the train via user interfaces. This may include food recommendations that take individual allergies and intolerances into account. Passengers can also activate a “Needs Dot” anywhere in the carriage at the touch of a finger to interact with the AI.
Flowing design meets technical feasibility
Panarooma combines technical innovation with a calm, sophisticated design language. Hexagonal structures inspired by honeycombs and snowflakes, together with warm timber elements, copper accents and translucent materials, create an atmosphere more reminiscent of premium residential or automotive interiors than a conventional dining car. Within the double-decker carriage, integrated display films transform the translucent stairways into interactive waterfalls accompanied by gentle natural sounds, making even the journey to the upper deck part of the overall travel experience.
Despite its visionary character, Panarooma has been developed consistently within real-world technical constraints. The design complies precisely with the rail industry’s loading-gauge requirements and is fully suitable for tunnel operation. At the same time, the complete automation of the kitchen and service processes reduces staffing requirements. Only one person is needed at reception, allowing them to act as a host and focus on passengers’ genuine needs.
World Premiere at InnoTrans 2026
The centrepiece of the presentation will be located at the stand of onboard galley specialist Bucher. There, zweigrad Design will exhibit a 65-centimetre precision 3D- printed model of Panarooma manufactured by Siemens, accompanied by interior renderings and animations of the Japanese-inspired dining presentation. Using a story app developed by zweigrad Design, visitors will be able to experience the train restaurant of the future in its entirety.
The goal: bringing automotive emotion to the railways
For many passengers, their own car is a highly personalised home on wheels, while a train often remains little more than a purely functional means of travelling from A to B. zweigrad Design aims to strengthen the emotional connection between passengers and rail travel. For Panarooma, a visionary double-decker train restaurant, the team developed a holistic aesthetic that brings the comfort, quality and freedom of modern premium cars into the railway environment.
To create an entirely new visual and tactile world, the zweigrad Design team conducted a CMF workshop, drawing on the additional expertise of a CMF designer who works for renowned automotive manufacturers. CMF stands for Colour, Material and Finish and refers to the deliberate design of colours, materials and surfaces. zweigrad Design’s objective was to create a captivating visual experience characterised by calm, warmth and a sense of security, rather than overwhelming passengers with loud, attention-grabbing effects.
