Marl has been awarded the Passenger Comfort Innovation of the Year award for its 'Sci-Light' LED lighting technology, at the 2009 Railway Interiors Expo 'Innovation & Excellence' Awards, held on 25th November 2009 in Cologne, Germany.

Accepting the award, Adrian Rawlinson, Managing Director of Marl International said, "We are delighted to receive this award and for the judges to recognise the significant developments we have made with our new intelligent Sci-Light technology, which provides passengers with an ambient and comfortable environment, whilst reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs. The Railway Interiors Expo and the associated awards attract a very high calibre of entrants each year and we were extremely proud to be one of the winners."

Jon Lawson, editor of Railway Interiors magazine, part of UKIP Media & Events Ltd, organisers of the event, commented: "The 2009 Railway Interiors Expo has been the best so far and the award entries this year have been of a very high standard. Passenger comfort is an extremely important factor in rail travel and we felt that the efficient Sci-Light technology was an all round winner." Other winners were: London Underground, Great Western, Amtrak and Dubai Metro.

Marl's winning Sci-Light LED lighting has been successfully trialled by Porterbrook Leasing Company on a Class 323 unit used in the West Midlands area. The Sci-Light system replaces a 36W or 40W fluorescent tube with an intelligent LED system with a maximum power rating of 21W. Multiple high speed sensors in the carriages dim the interior lights when they are not needed, and the control software ensures the change in light level is unperceivable by passengers. It's estimated that the average power consumption can be reduced by 40% to 60% depending upon the configuration of the controller and the actual operating environment (time of year, weather conditions and time spent in tunnels, or deep cuttings).

About Railway Interiors Innovation and Excellence Awards
The Railway Interiors Innovation and Excellence Awards are designed to recognise and reward the increasing sophistication of railcar interior design, equipment, technology and furnishings. The awards cover every class of passenger rail vehicle from local light rail to intercontinental high-speed services, and nominations can be put forward by anyone working in the sector.

The jury is made up of up to 30 internationally renowned independent industry journalists, passenger representative groups and consultants. Full details of the exhibition and awards are available here: http://www.railwayinteriors-expo.com/awards_news.php