European Lessons Learned: Managing Tunnel Operations and Maintenance Risks

Dr. Bernd HagenahHouston, Wednesday March 11, 2020

Agenda

▪ Introduction

▪ Safety TSI

▪ Freight Train Tunnels

▪ Rolling Stock

▪ Metro Systems (Austria, France, Germany, …)

▪ Safety during construction

Metro Baku 1995

▪ Train with 5 coaches (approx. 1000 passengers ) left station and stopped in the tunnel (approx. 200 m / 660 ft) technical reason – short-circuit initiated fire

▪ Rolling Stock up to 90 % combustible

▪ Driver asked to shut down electricity → reaction from operator too late → fatalities

▪ Doors did not open, panic started, evacuation to neighbor cars → fatalities

▪ Longitudinal ventilation started in the direction of the next station Uldus and evacuation started in the opposite direction towards the station Nariman Narimanov after approx. 15 min direction of ventilation changed → fatalities

292 – 337 fatalities in total

Kaprun 2000

▪ Fire started when leaving the valley station

▪ Train stopped in the tunnel (slope ~ 40 %) due to technical problems caused by the fire

▪ Doors could not be opened from inside – just from the driver

▪ No communication measures on board

▪ Natural ventilation uphill (stack effect) with vair > critical velocity

▪ 155 fatalities in the cars, during evacuation uphill, inside hill station and inside second train

▪ 12 survivors' broke windows to escape and evacuated downhill

TEN – Trans-European Network

▪ Road, Rail and Water TEN Network until 2030

▪ 2015 – 2030 approx. 700 bn €

▪ Common Safety Standard required

▪ Standartisation for equipment and operation concepts required

TSI – Technical Specification for Interoperability

▪ The generally acknowledged integral state of the art of safety in rail tunnels – RANK OF A LAW

▪ This European standard shall be applied to all European rail tunnels which are part of the Trans-European Network.

▪ The integral TSI standard – will be considered for the safetyconcept.

▪ Standartisation for equipment and operation concepts.

▪ Approved and experienced regulation, approx. > 2 billiontrain km / year !

▪ Comprehensive / integral safety and operation concept

TSI – Safety in Rail Tunnels (TSR)

▪ TSI-Safety in Rail Tunnels (SRT)- rail safety standard in Europe- initially applicable for cross-border traffic

▪ Required for almost all new European rail tunnels▪ Ventilation not explicitly required

Standards & Guidelines

Collisions / fore example with regard to Aerodynamics

Pressure in Tunnels – loads on trains and equipment

vKISS = 159 km/h vrailjet = 230 km/h

Rolling Stock Design – EN 45545

▪ EN 45545 – 6. Fire Control and Management System▪ Fire detection, signaling▪ Emergency Light, Signage for evacuation, etc. ▪ Acoustic information / communication▪ Requirements for extinguishers / positions▪ Procedures like shutting down climatisation / ventilation

TSI categ. B trains15 min with 80 km/h (50 mph) → 20 km (12.8 mi)

Procedure

Safety Concept and Protection Goals valid for hot and cold incidents - example

▪ Priority 1: Protection of tunnel users / passengersThe protection of life and limb, as well as the integrity of the passengers.

▪ Priority 2: Protection of intervention forcesThe safe guidance and support during the incident by rescue forces.

▪ Priority 3: Availability of the track Restart operation quickly after an incident.

▪ Priority 4: Protection of the tunnel structure/ asset protection Avoid collapse….

Procedure

Examples for measures to meet safety goals (digest) • Prevention

- regular checks of system- check of trains before entering the tunnels (e.g. hot-box, etc.)- rolling stock requirements / equipment- signaling (information to train drivers)

• Mitigation - no emergency stop in the tunnel (whatever it takes)- emergency break override- motor extinguishers on board

• Evacuation- personal equipment of drivers (freight trains)- opening car doors- rescue shelter, sizes of egress ways, signage, etc.- emergency exit

• Rescue- communication measures- access for fire brigades- fire fighting points in portal areas- exercises

Implementation in Europe

Austria

▪ Between Vienna and Salzburg 16 new rail tunnels (approx. 0.3 – 13 km)No mechanical ventilation.

▪ Wienerwald-Tunnel and Lainzer Tunnel (total: > 20 km) equipped with mechanical ventilation due to its complexity (combined single-track double bore / double-track single bore system)

▪ Semmering Base tunnel (27.3 km) is planned with an emergency stop and mechanical ventilation

▪ Koralmtunnel (31.6 km) is planned with an emergency stop and mechanical ventilation

▪ Brenner Base Tunnel (55 km) is planned with emergency stops and mechanical ventilation

Implementation in EuropeGermany▪ Between Hamburg and Munich 70 rail tunnels (approx. 0.4 - 11 km)▪ No German rail tunnel is equipped with mechanical ventilation (just 1 under

construction)▪ Most tunnels are used by mixed traffic (freight traffic, high speed traffic and

occasionally commuter traffic)Switzerland▪ Between Bern and Zurich 11 new rail tunnels (approx. 0.4 – 6.3 km)▪ None of them equipped with mechanical ventilation▪ Only cross-country tunnels with more than 20 km length have

emergency stops with mechanical ventilation (Loetschberg-Base-Tunnel, Gotthard-Base-Tunnel).

Example Loetschberg Base Tunnel

▪ Loetschberg-Base-Tunnel (approx. 34 km)▪ Double bore single-track / single bore single-track ▪ Cross-passage distance 333 m▪ Two emergency stops one of them with mechanical ventilation

Cross-passage Sliding doors Jet fans in portal area Lessons learnt

Example Loetschberg Base Tunnel

Lessons learnt from Loetschberg Base Tunnel Operation

▪ Metallic rail dust is an issue▪ Each cross-passage twice cleant each year▪ Metal dust harms electronics and causes false alarms▪ Health aspects for workers▪ Similar findings in metro tunnels / stations▪ Good planning shall avoid unreasonable maintenance

efforts (design of ventilation plants, specification ofdoors, using mechanical ventilation during normaloperation, access during normal operation, etc.)

Example Gotthard Base Tunnel

▪ Gotthard-Base-Tunnel (approx. 57 km)▪ Double bore single-track with▪ Cross-passage distance 325 m▪ Two emergency stops (approx. every 20 km) with mechanical ventilation▪ 1h – and nobody left in the tunnel▪ Who talks (other train drivers, incident train, rescue services, etc.) ?▪ How many decisions → lake of Constance…

Example Gotthard Base Tunnel

Staggered Potals to avoid reciruclation of▪ warm and rail dust polluted air▪ smoke in the case of a hot incident

Theory: Anti-recirculation wall

Reality

Example Gotthard Base Tunnel

Example Stuttgart 21

▪ New underground station with connecting▪ First German rail tunnels with mechanical ventilation▪ Complex underground structure▪ Ventilation foreseen to keep central station free of smoke

Freight Tunnels – Simplon Tunnels

Fire in the Simplon Tunnel • Fire 2011 was caused by unfixed tarpaulin• Fire fighting with rescue train after > 300000

Gallons of water → without impact.• Tunnel closed for almost 6 months

“Suspicious” trains shall not enter tunnels

Suspicious trains shall not enter tunnels

▪ Screening of trains before entering the tunnels on track (prevention)

▪ Information on-board should be available as well (prevention)

▪ Train stop in the tunnel must be avoided (mitigation)

▪ Fire fighting is almost useless (no positive experience world wide)

Lessons learnt from previous accidents (Channel tunnel, Simplon tunnel, etc.)

hot boxaxle / bearing

Preventive measures: Wayside train monitoring systems

Preventive measures: Wayside train monitoring systems

Over 130 operational installations

Testing & Training

Design criteria

• Factory acceptance tests (FAT)

• Site acceptance tests (SAT)

Safety / operational goals

• Site integration tests (SIT)

• Fire and smoke tests

Testing Procedures

Longitudinal airflow in the tunnel is the most important aspect forthe functionality of tunnel ventilation→ Calibration of measuring equipment→ Signal analysis→ Logging of measured values

Testing of fire ventilation operation- All scenarios - Failure and fallback modes- Simulation of different boundary

conditions by mobile jet fans

0:00:00 2:00:00 4:00:00 6:00:00Zeit (hh:mm:ss)

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

Gesch

windig

keit [m

/s]

21.04.04, Sauges, tube Biel, filtriert

BiT1-20503BiT2-21104BiT3-22549BiL-20257BiL-21845BiL-20257BiL-21845

Querschnittmessung

Punktmessung

Metro Systems

▪ No General FLS Standard available, focus on rolling stock and operation

▪ France: FLS Metro Standards

▪ Germany, Austria: No FLS Metro Standards

Present tendencies

▪ Individual Design Fire Specification (e.g. Vienna: from ~30 MW to ~3 MW)

▪ Tunnel Climate (safety relevant)

▪ Rail Dust Treatment

▪ Equipment with Platform Screen Doors (PSD)

▪ Preparation for fully automatic operation (Vienna, Hamburg, Paris, etc.)

▪ Rolling Stock Fire Protection

Metro / Light Rail Systems

Tunnel 8 %

Länge / length: 150 mGradient

Tunnel Gradient: 0 %Länge / length: 1100 m

Tunnel Gradient: 8 %

150 m Länge / length:

Aufgänge

jet-fan jet-fan

supply air

Metro / Light Rail Systems

longitudinal ventilation in the direction of travel3 air exchange per hour

supply air filtered

exhaust air unfiltered

Metro Vienna (F)

Ventilation

Fan Plant Design Aspects

▪ For information only - do not apply

▪ Contact me for further discussion

silencer

Object 050 1Pvariante

l = 3 m1

Metro Systems

▪ New metro line around Paris (line 15) under construction.

▪ Equipment in tender phase

▪ Since Paris won Olympic Games 2024 increasing priority for north sections

Paris Metro

Station 1 Station2

tunnel

MM

supply air

train

sens de marche

MV2 V3V1

M

M

M

MM

M

MM

MMMMM

M

damper: closed

damper: openM fan working

supply air

M fan not working

extraction

▪ For information only - do not apply

▪ Contact me for further discussion

Metro and Rail Systems / RAMS

▪ Reliability – as ability to perform a specific function and may be given as design reliability or operational reliability.

▪ Availability – as ability to keep a functioning state in the given environment.▪ Maintainability – as ability to be timely and easily maintained (including servicing,

inspection and check, repair and/or modification).▪ Safety – as ability not to harm people, the environment, or any assets during a

whole life cycle.

▪ Design Specification of equipment can be a key element to safety

Safety During Construction

Construction of rail tunnels (Gotthard, Loetscherg, Brenner, base tunnels) ▪ Same approach

1. Preparing a safety concept including scenarios fire, explosion, etc.2. Main focus on fire safety – today fatalities due to cold accidents3. Define alarm, evacuation and rescue deployment scenarios (if – than, …), training

▪ Technical and operational measures for → prevention (no storage of inflamable material, no low quality cars, no battery

charging, etc. )→ mitigation (engine extinguishing units, shut down ventilation, …)→ evacuation (safety containers, hand rails, light, signage, etc.)→ rescue (communication, equipment, location of staff, etc.)

Thank you for your attention

Tunnel du Perthus, géré par TP Ferro © TP Ferro

Procedure

Examples for measures to meet safety goals (road)

• 1. Prevention measures - Vehicle speed in tunnels- Lane size - Light concept, specifically at entrance portal region! - Number of cars / traffic control in case of congestion- Mono-directional traffic / bi-directional traffic- Ban of dangerous goods / dangerous goods accompanied- Information of tunnel users (television, magazines) about behaviour in

tunnels- Regular and careful maintenance of tunnel structure ▪ …

• 2. Mitigation

- Flame retardant materials or vehicle constructions - Drainage – for dangerous liquids - Portable fire extinguishers in SOS niches or in vehicles - motor vehicle fire extinguisher- …

Procedure

Examples for measures to meet safety goals (road) • 3. Evacuation

- Emergency light- Signage (direction, doors)- Radio - Distance between emergency exits / cross-passage doors - Height and width of egress-path - Ventilation can be a reasonable measure – but not always- Regular and careful maintenance of tunnel equipment with regard to

safety - …

• 4. Rescue

- Communication measures - Regular training with all parties concerned, familiar with situation and local

characteristics- Safety concept and tunnel safety documentation - Clear hierarchic chain – understood and applied by every concerned partie- Personal equipment (respiratory protective devices, protective clothing, tools, …)- …