Evaluation of Passenger Train Car Materials in the Cone Calorimeter

Recent advances in fire test methods and hazard analysis techniques make it useful to reexamine passenger train fire safety requirements. The use of test methods based on heat release rate (HRR), incorporated with fire modeling and hazard analysis, could permit the assessment of potential hazards under realistic fire conditions. The results of research directed at the evaluation of passenger train car interior materials in the Cone Calorimeter are presented. These measurements provide data necessary for fire modeling as well as quantitative data that can be used to evaluate the performance of component materials and assemblies. The Cone Calorimeter test data were also compared with test data resulting from individual bench-test methods specified in the FRA fire safety guidelines. The majority of the tested materials which meet the current FRA guidelines show comparable performance in the Cone Calorimeter.