Safe & Reliable Tunnels.
Innovative European Achievements
COMPARED FIRE SAFETY FEATURES FOR METRO TUNNELS
Daniel Gabay
RATP, France
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the fire safety features for metro tunnels. After a short introduction
showing the specificity of the metro transportation, it deals with the standard and usage.
A detailed analysis of structural conditions, safety equipment and response to fire is carried
out, showing some differences between networks within the same country and between
countries.
1. INTRODUCTION
Compared to the road and rail tunnels, the Metro is very different for the two other
underground transportation modes. The scale of each network is a town and suburbs, and not
a country like for road or rail transportation. Usually the metro concerns mainly urban sites
and tunnels, sometimes suburban lines. So the Transport Authority is usually the Town and
not a Country; for that reason the need for standard was less important.
1.1 Compared specificies
The fundamental difference between road or rail and metro tunnels results from the traffic
nature which does not induce the same level of risk at all. This table gives general simplified
characteristics of tunnels for each transportation mode:
Item Metro Rail Road
Length 5 to 600 meters mean 30 m to 50km 200 m to 20 km
between 2 stations No stations No stations or accesses*
Location city city, country city, country
Exits stations tunnel ends tunnel ends, shelters
with access to other
tunnels
Intervention time of 5 to 10 minutes 10 to 60 minutes 5 to 60 minutes
firemen at the end of
tunnels
Transport people People, goods, TMD** People, goods,TMD
People 100 to 250 per wagon 150 per wagon 1 to 100 ( bus)
communication for Driver or interphone driver of the train each driver of each
alarm vehicle
Vehicles Dedicated No dedicated No dedicated
fire resistance standard fire resistance standard No fire resistance standard
Firemen intervention Stations ,special firemen ends of tunnel ends of tunnel,
access special accesses
* : only for urban or very long tunnels **: dangerous goods
Table 1 Simplified charateristics of road, rail and metro tunnels
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1.2 Main differences with other modes of transportation
They consist mainly in the existence of stations and the rolling stock.
1.2.1The stations
The strategy of fire protection in metros is based on the couple station-tunnel because the
most important issue is to evacuate people by the stations. In fact, each train of the metro
network in the world is fitted with inhibit of emergency break. This safety device allows to
bring the train in the station, except in few exceptional cases (stopping of the train in the
tunnel caused by a mechanical incident or signalling). Moreover the time the train is running
in the tunnel is generally short, nearly 30 seconds; the time the train is stopped in a station is
nearly the same. Thus the probability to find a train stopped in a tunnel in fire is very small.
1.2.2 The rolling stock
The rolling stock is dedicated to a metro line in each town of each country. It is only
passenger transportation and never, except maybe in case of war, the transportation of
hazardous goods. For this reason, the fire risk is very small.
The main objective is therefore to reduce the risk at the source, using very efficient fire safety
standards for the train design and materials used for his construction.
It appears that this quality is specific to the metro and allows to optimise the tunnel equipment
So, for a same level of fire safety as for road or train tunnels, it should allow to reduce the
constraining character and the number of safety equipment in tunnels.
2. GUIDELINES
To present the relevant fire safe guidelines, regulations, standards or current best practices
from European member states design it seems more realistic to integrate the all system train-
infrastructure in the analysis because of the interaction of the different equipment to reduce
the fire risk in the metros.
2.1The stations
Generally the stations in a metro network are dealt as “Class public receiving establishments”.
As such, they are generally compelled to the safety regulations and standards for buildings
and, sometimes when existing, to specific regulations for stations. As they are also considered
as evacuation egress, they have to be conform with the safety rules according to the
evacuation time reference.
The number or width of different facilities are based on people estimation at peak or normal
hours for:
• the exits: at least 2 except for old stations
• the platform accesses
• the corridors
• the staircases and travelators
• the escalators or lifts
• the three-rod turnstiles
• the open toll gates
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2.2 The rolling stock
The most restrictive standards concern the trains. In each country are applied European or
local standards related to the fire behaviour of materials, smoke opacity and toxicity in case of
fire. Moreover for some metros, extinguishing means are used in each wagon.
2.3 The tunnels
For the tunnels, the level of safety measures depends on the safety level fixed for train. More
over in case of fire on a train in a tunnel, it is highly recommended to bring the train into a
station the structure of which is sized to ensure passenger evacuation in the best possible
conditions. In most cases this requirement is complied with by inhibiting the emergency brake
(UITP requirement). So few safety equipments are existing; they concern mainly facilities for
fire brigade intervention:
• specific entrance
• standpipes
• communication means
• etc…
In some networks, the ventilation system is very developed allowing to satisfy both comfort,
environment and safety goals for passengers.
3. LIST of GUIDELINES
The list of European guidelines for metros is very short. It concerns only at our knowledge:
• Austria
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
In many countries, in Europe but particularly in America and Asia, the EU standard NFPA is
applied in many existing or project metro networks. Each standard takes in account, in
separate or unique documents stations, tunnels and vehicles, including:
• the field of applications
• stations and tunnels
• structural conditions
• escape and guidance facilities
• fire ventilation
• communication alarm system
• fire fighting equipment
• traffic regulation
• others(lighting, emergency power supply,…)
• fire resistance and reaction
• communal requirements
• particular requirements
• sometimes construction works
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The different standards are based on existing equipment in national networks. So, due to a
small number of standards, the safety requirements analysis had to consider simultaneously
actual usage in different networks in Europe and use a study about fire safety for the Metros
carried out by the “Union Internationale des Transports Publics” (UITP) during last years.
4. DETAILED COMPARISON OF SAFETY MEASURES
4.1 Structural conditions
Due to the characteristics of the metro tunnel, the need for specific emergency passenger or
staff exit is not important, except in some specific cases like blind sidings or long tunnels.
In fact the evacuation of passengers or firemen intervention are based on 4 main principles:
• the presence of stations with many corridors and accesses
• the short distance between stations
• the emergency braking inhibit of the trains
• the use of walkway or track side or both
To create specific firemen access, the requirement based on the maximum distance between
accesses may be very different for each network:
Metro Distance maximum between stations or firemen accesses (in meters)
Praha 2140
Paris 800
Rennes 600
Helsinki 500
Hambourg 1000
Berlin 1700
Munchen 1717
Lisboa 1300
Barcelona 500
Madrid 500
Wien 600
USA 381
Table 2 Distance between accesses
4.2 Safety equipment
This chapter takes in account the same equipment that for road or rail tunnels.
The general document deals with:
• smoke control ventilation
• emergency exit and rescue access ventilation
• lighting
• signage
• communication and alarm system
• traffic regulation-monitoring equipment
• power supply
• fire suppression
• others
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4.2.1 Smoke control ventilation
As we are obliged to consider underground stations and tunnels like a continuous
underground environment, the role of the ventilation is fundamental. Ventilation is a need to
obtain in an underground space comfort, air changes and fire safety. So to satisfy all these
goals many systems are available:
• specific fire and/or comfort fans
• air conditioning + fire safety ventilation
• only fire safety ventilation
• only natural shafts
dedicated to the:
• stations/tunnels
• only stations
• only tunnels.
The use of the ventilation system differs with the strategy fixed by each metro network for
fire safety. During an incident there are 2 important phases, before and after the decision
taking. Before the smoke spreading can be due to:
• the piston effect caused by the stopping of the incidented train or the passing train in the
other way
• the effect of the comfort ventilation
• or the both effect.
Generally in metro tunnels piston effect is the most important.
In the most of the European metro networks ventilation is used but the number, the distance
and the flow rate of each fan is very changing. Moreover there is no ventilation control by
sensors.
The fire resistance for many countries is defined in the following table:
Country, network Resistant to fire (°C) Duration (hour)
(in station)
F- Paris 200 (400) 2 (1)
F- Rennes 200 2
FL- Helsinki 350 ----,
D- Hambourg 300(100) 1,5
D- Munchen ----; -----; (1,5)
P- Lisboa 300(300) 1(1,5)
SP- Barcelona 400(400) 1(1)
SP- Madrid ----;(100) -----;
OS- Wien 250(60) 1,5
RU- Moskva ---;(0) ---; (0,5)
UK- London 350(360) 1(1)
USA 250 1
Table 3 Temperature and time resistance for fire safety fans
4.2.2 Lighting
The emergency exits, located generally in the stations are equipped with normal and
emergency lighting in case of fire or power supply failure. For all the tunnels emergency
tunnel lighting is available. In the next table, the main characteristics of tunnel lighting are
indicated:
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LIGHTING Normal lighting Emergency lighting
Country, network 24h/24 During Height Mean
operation (cm) Illumination
(lux)
B-Brussels yes yes 120 2
F-Paris yes Yes 225 2
F- Rennes yes Yes ---; 60
FL-Helsinki yes yes 100 to300 5
TCH-Praha no ----; ----; 2
I- Milano yes yes 4 to 6 100
S-Stockholm no No ----; 3
D-Hambourg no No ----; >3
D-Berlin ----; ---; 100 1
D- Munchen ----; no ---; ----;
N-Rotterdam yes no ----; 10
P- Lisboa yes Yes 320 10
SP- Barcelona yes Yes ----; >1
SP- Madrid no No ----; ----;
OS- Wien no no ----; 20
RU- Moskva no no -----;
UK- London no No 150
S-Stockholm ------ ------
USA ------- ------- NFPA70 2,69
Table 4 Lighting
4.2.3 Signals
In metro tunnels, signals are simple. They consist of escape direction signs, lighted or located
near the emergency lighting, indicating the name of the station and the distance.
4.2.4 Communication and alarm system
This is an important point. In many exercises or events, the communication system is
insufficient and brings lack of time and efficiency.
During the intervention phase, the chief operator, the firemen, the station operator, the staff,
the police, have to communicate or to intercommunicate. So the communication system has to
be coherent, multiple, complete to satisfy all these needs.
Part of these systems, such as normal telephone, emergency telephone, leased line, mobile
line, direct line, satellite teleline, underground communication system can be used separately
or together.
To give alarm in case of fire in station or in tunnel, there are many people.
During the alert phase, it concerns the driver of the train (automatic cameras if not), the
station operator(s) or passengers.
On the other hand a conventional automatic detection is generally installed in premises or
areas considered as hazardous, namely:
• in stations for commercial shops or specific technical rooms (transformer room, escalator
machine room, technical galleries)
• in tunnels for train stalling areas.
4.2.5 Passengers information
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This information is given in stations near the location of the incident by radio or station
operator and on the trains by the driver.
4.2.6 Traffic regulation –monitoring equipment and power supply
These equipments are required in normal conditions to ensure the efficiency of the metro
system. So, in emergency situations, the same system is used allowing to be the more
pertinent and efficient possible.
4.2.7 Fire fighting equipment
In tunnels, some equipments are installed essentially for firemen. Networks or parts of
network are equipped with pipes, dry or wet. For example, the following table gives the
diameter of the pipes:
Country, network Diameter (cm)
B-Brussels 100
DK-Kopenhagen ….
F-Paris 100
F- Rennes 100
FL-Helsinki 100
TCH-Praha 75
I- Milano 50-180
D-Hambourg 80-100
D-Berlin 80
D- Munchen 80
N-Rotterdam 55-110
P- Lisboa 50
SP- Barcelona 50
SP- Madrid 45
OS- Wien 80
RU- Moskva 80-100
UK- London -----
S-Stockholm 25
Table 5 Diameter of pipes
4.3 Structure and equipment, response to fire
The scope of application of many building standards are also the metros, essentially for the
stations, less for tunnels (walls, partitions, etc…) .
The only main difference is the risk for the numerous cables laying in tunnels on large
distances according to the different functions: power, communication, control and command.
So the structure of the cables is very important to analyse risk assessment.
The next table gives the cable structure (310 : PVC ; 311 :Self – extinguishing ; 312 :Halogen
free ; 313 : no smoke development ; 314 : no toxicity ; 315 : mineralisation ) installed or not
in each country / network and the duration time:
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Country, network Structure Fire resistance time
(hour)
310 311 312 313 314 315
B-Brussels no no yes yes yes no Yes (0,5 to1,5)
F-Paris no yes yes yes yes yes Yes (1)
F- Rennes no no yes yes no no Yes (1)
FL-Helsinki yes yes yes yes yes no no
TCH-Praha no yes yes yes yes No Yes (1)
I- Milano no yes yes yes yes no no
D-Hambourg yes yes yes yes yes No Yes (0,5)
D-Berlin No yes yes yes yes Yes Yes (0,5)
D- Munchen yes yes yes no yes Yes Yes (0,5?)
N-Rotterdam no yes No yes yes No
P- Lisboa No Yes yes yes Yes No Yes (0,25)
SP- Barcelona No yes yes yes yes Yes Yes (1)
SP- Madrid No yes yes yes yes no
OS- Wien Yes yes yes yes yes yes Yes
UK- London no yes yes yes yes no Yes (1)
S-Stockholm yes yes yes yes no no
Table 6 Cable structure
5. CONCLUSION
All the items developed in this paper show many differences between different networks in a
same country or in different countries. These facts come essentially from the age of the
network and the upgrading safety solutions. But it appears many accordance between the
different countries about the strategic choice, such as ventilation and communication systems.
Therefore the metro safety system has to include all the components consisting in improving
safety in stations, rolling stock and tunnels.
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