Ten Years of LS: From Light Strip to Statement
This year, our LS light strip series celebrates its 10-year anniversary. What began in 2016 with the first installed unit has grown into a global success story: today, more than 70,000 light strips reliably provide orientation, safety, and visual appeal in rail vehicle door systems worldwide. For us, this anniversary is more than a milestone, it is the perfect opportunity to showcase the full potential of our technology.
Building on the proven LS Basic Line, we have developed a new application that transforms the appearance of trams at first glance. The custom-developed roof edge lighting was designed in close cooperation with the customer and is positioned at the vehicle’s primary visual perception line. Integrated along the full roof edge, it clearly defines the vehicle contour and enhances visibility in urban conditions.
Depending on the concept, the roof edge lighting allows targeted color marking of boarding and alighting areas at the doors. This visual guidance makes door zones clearly recognizable from a distance, supporting faster and more efficient passenger flow. At the same time, the lighting acts as a continuous design element, accentuating the vehicle’s silhouette and giving trams a modern, dynamic presence. In both applications, it creates a harmonious overall appearance, enhances passenger comfort, and increases visibility in public transport. Operators benefit as well, with smoother processes and reduced dwell times at stops thanks to quicker and more orderly boarding and alighting. In this way, public transport becomes visibly smarter and more passenger-friendly.
From a technical perspective, the roof edge lighting offers maximum flexibility. Lengths of up to 30 meters can be realized with precision thanks to its modular design and cascaded circuit boards that ensure seamless connections between segments. All wiring is fully integrated within the luminaire, simplifying installation and enabling smooth integration into a wide range of vehicle shapes.
Our solution also sets benchmarks in light quality. Carefully selected, high-grade LEDs deliver precise and uniform color rendering across the entire length, ensuring a consistent appearance without visible color variations.
The luminaire is designed for direct connection to the vehicle’s 24V power circuit and requires no separate power supply while fully complying with rail-specific voltage standards. This reduces installation effort, minimizes cabling, and lowers overall costs. At the same time, the construction is purpose-built for rail operation: robust, weather-resistant, and reliable even in automated washing facilities.
The LS series originated from a unique challenge: a metro project required an LED light strip with an installation depth of just 20 millimeters that could indicate door status across the full height during opening and closing. From this initial concept, a lighting system evolved that now extends far beyond the door area. Roof edge lighting is not the final destination, but the next step in its evolution, demonstrating how a door-focused solution can grow into a flexible lighting platform that continually opens up new applications.
We look forward to seeing which contours will emerge next.
Highlights
- Customized lighting concept
- Visual warning signal enhancing visibility and safety in public transport
- Modern, distinctive design
- Ambient lighting effect
- Passenger orientation support
- Flexible application: light strip lengths can be tailored for homogeneous illumination of any required area
- Easy installation
- Resistant to weather, chemicals, and vandalism
