This was also a gratifying event for Freudenberg Bausysteme KG in Weinheim. For many years, the German Railways have been opting to fit their carriages with nora® floorcoverings from the Freudenberg company - the double-decker "Anniversary Carriage" is fitted with noraplan® effect. This vote of confidence from the German Railways has many reasons. They resemble those of architects and clients who have installed nora® floorcoverings around the globe in airports, office buildings, industrial facilities, kindergartens or hospitals, making the Weinheim-based company a top-ranking vendor for rubber floorings.

For a start, despite their low weight, nora® floorcoverings are exceptionally hard-wearing and long-lived. Think of wintertime, for example: they stand up splendidly to the aggressive mixture of salt, gravel and car exhaust fumes bonded in the slush, all adhering to the passengers' soles - and the same applies to cigarette burns, by the way. Under such adverse wintry conditions, the flooring does not turn into a dangerous ice rink whenever the train accelerates or brakes - it provides a solid footing for the passengers.

The cleaning firms involved are also highly appreciative of nora® floorcoverings: the extremely dense, unbroken surface simply repels the dirt, thus simplifying the cleaning work. Even graffiti and chewing gum are not a serious problem. One very important strength is manifested by the floorcoverings from Freudenberg Bausysteme KG when a literally burning issue is involved. They are exceptionally fire-proof, and toxicologically safe in the event of a fire. Thanks to their eco-compatible constituents, they do not release any caustic gases, thus significantly upgrading the level of passenger safety. That, too, is why the passengers in the underground networks of New York, Berlin or Taipeh tread on nora®. Mixtures developed specifically for rail transportation, moreover, ensure that nora® floorcoverings remain resiliently in shape even on curving tracks, without any cracks developing.

Besides all the utilitarian reasons, the visual design also plays a vital role when the German Railways and railway companies all over the world opt for nora® rubber floorcoverings. Sometimes elegantly discreet, sometimes eye-catchingly vibrant, Freudenberg Bausysteme KG matches the colors and the designs to its customers' wishes. In the current generation of double-decker carriages, for instance, the discreet blue of the floorcovering is precisely matched to the seat upholstery provided. Colored granules scattered in a variety of blues, distributed over the flooring like tiny grains, create an overall impression of striking vivacity and at the same time conceal the everyday dirt.