Overview

The railway industry is generally concerned with the movement of people as well as goods. It is therefore essential that a high level of safety is achieved, even when failures occur which may involve fire, howsoever caused, affecting railway rolling stock. Hence it is necessary to provide cables for use in railway environments which minimise the hazard to people when a fire may damage the cable, irrespective of whether the fire is caused by an external source or from within the electrical system. The EN 50382 series specifies cables for power and associated circuits which, in the event of fire, will limit the risk to people and improve the safety on railways in general. It covers cables, for use in railway rolling stock, and having standard wall thickness of insulation, based on materials that allow them to operate at high temperature and which are also halogen free. In the event of a fire affecting cables to EN 50382 they will have a limited flame spread and limited emission of toxic gases. In addition these cables when burnt produce limited amounts of smoke. This last characteristic will minimise loss of visibility in the event of a fire and will aid reduced evacuation times. EN 50382 is divided into 2 parts: - Part 1: General requirements; - Part 2: Single core silicone rubber insulated cables for 120 °C or 150 °C. The temperature limit for maximum operating has been adapted. The responsible committee is DKE/UK 411.2 "Isolierte Starkstromleitungen" ("Insulated cables, wires and flexible cords for power installation") of the DKE (German Commission for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies) at DIN and VDE.

Responsible national committee

DKE/UK 411.2 - Isolierte Starkstromleitungen