Stadler Rail has won three of the renowned red dot awards for top international design. It receives the awards jointly with design studios Nose, Paulussen and FuggiBaggi. Bergen's Variobahn and the Intercity FLIRT of the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) won the prestigious red dot for their high-quality design. The Allegra dual-voltage multiple-unit train of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) was actually awarded "red dot: best of the best" for its interior. Thus it joins an illustrious list of past prizewinners including Mercedes, Philips and Apple.

Allegra is RhB's new train plying the world-famous Bernina railway. Its interior conceals significant innovations and plentiful power. The multiple-unit train can run on two different power systems. It is also sufficiently powerful to haul up to seven panorama carriages of the Bernina Express over the steep inclines of the Albula and Bernina lines, classed by UNESCO as World Heritage. Heavy goods trains pose no problem either. Stadler commissioned the design of this unique railway vehicle from Zurich-based Nose Design AG, which has come up with an appropriately unique design. The interior echoes the traditional building style of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Side walls are clad in traditional "Vrin" timber panelling, while the "Vals" covering of the equipment boxes represents irregular monolithic strata.

Norway's harsh climate and geographical conditions place extreme demands on both exterior and interior of the Intercity FLIRT, designed for NSB. The train's nose has to be strong, to assure safe running even in snowdrifts and at freezing temperatures. The interplay of warm and cold shades of grey inside creates a timeless, Nordic ambience. This offers the comfort needed on very long journeys. Peripheral areas are dimmed at night to give passengers a sense of security.

Love of detail was lavished on the design of the Variobahn, the new tram system introduced in Bergen. The modern but timeless exterior is the work of design studio Paulussen in Düsseldorf, while the interior design is the output of Norwegian designers FuggiBaggi. Inside, particular emphasis has been placed on a friendly atmosphere with clear lighting. A special feature of Bergen's Variobahn is the strip lighting on the vehicle ceiling, which shines through Perspex luminaires of artistic design. These set off the ceiling in different colour shades and patterns, creating a very special ambience for the interior.

The red dot design award is one of the leading and largest design competitions. Since 1955, the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany, has selected examples of outstanding design quality which receive the seal of its approval at an exhibition. The prizes will be presented to all this year's winners at a ceremony at Essen's Aalto Theatre on 4 July 2011.