Abstract
A set of design factors that should be considered during rail transit system development in proposed. As the current trend in the rail transit development emphasizes its role as a medium through which the interaction between the city environment and people takes place, the factors of harmony, color, characteristics, identity, and communication should be considered in the railway-transit system design. It's important to ensure that there exist harmony between the design and the civic environment, the influence of color on people is properly considered, the car design possesses distinct characteristics, and that the sense of common identity as well as effective communication is fostered between the system and people it serves. Several cases from various countries are presented to illustrate the points raised in the paper.
