Fire-resistant cables and lines make an important contribution to fire safety in railway tunnels. Since the consequences of tunnel fires can be devastating, preventive fire protection measures play an essential role in tunnel construction. Our article "Cables as preventive fire protection", published in " EI - DER EISENBAHNINGENIEUR", is dedicated to this topic.
Fire-resistant cables and lines
Statistically, the railway is one of the safest means of transport in Germany. This is not only due to technological demands, continuous maintenance and repair, but also to the high safety standards and requirements that railway operators are confronted with. Fires are one of the greatest dangers in tunnels. Especially in enclosed structures that are difficult to access, such as railway tunnels, rescue forces quickly reach their limits. More safety through prevention is therefore the motto. Accordingly, the use of fire-resistant cables is a must.
Construction Products Regulation also applies to tunnels
Strict requirements apply to the construction materials used in the construction of tunnels. With the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), which has been binding for all EU member states since July 2013, the EU has standardised the different national regulations regarding the fire properties of construction products. The CPR includes a far-reaching certification system that ensures that only approved products are used in construction and applies to all products or kits that are permanently installed in structures or parts thereof. Since 1 July 2017, this also includes permanently installed cables and lines. More precisely, the harmonised standard hEN 50575, which is linked to the CPR and concerns the fire classification and test methods for cables for installation in structures, applies here. Cables for tunnels are also covered by this regulation if they are permanently installed cables - such as emergency supply lines.
On 18 November 2014, the EU Commission published Directive TSI SRT 1303/2014, Technical Specification for Interoperability relating to "Safety in Railway Tunnels" on the European Union Rail System (SRT). A complementary implementing regulation (EU) 2019/776 entered into force on 16 May 2019.
You can read more details about preventive fire protection in railway tunnels in the current issue of "EI - DER EISENBAHNINGENIEUR". Gerard Pera, Product Manager Fibre Optic Data Cables of BU Multimedia Solutions/Prysmian Group, explains in a comprehensive article how safety in railway tunnels can be increased by fire-resistant cables and lines and which guidelines and regulations apply in this particular area.
Take a look at the magazine yourself and read the article here.
Source: Issue EI 12/21, https://www.eurailpress.de/ei