An Assessment of High-Speed Rail Safety Issues and Research Needs U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research and Development Washington DC 20590 Alan J. Bing Arthur D. Little, Inc. Acorn Park Cambridge, MA 02140 DOT/FRAIORD-90/04 December 1990 This document is available to the Final Report Public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161 NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. NOTICE The United States Government does not endorse products of manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear herein solely because they are con· sidered essential to the object of this report. • • Technical ~eport Documentation Page I. Report No . 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. DOT/FRA/ORD-90/04 4. Ti tl e a nd Subti tl e 5. Report Date An Assessment of High-Speed Rail Safety Issues and May 1990 Research Needs 6. Performing Organization Code ~-----,-...,..----------------------------1 8. Performing Organization Report No . 7. Author/ 5) Alan J. Bing 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Arthur D. Little, Inc. Acorn Park 11. Contract or Grant No. Cambridge, MA 02140 13. Type of Report and Period Covered 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address Final Report U.S. Department of Transportation September 1988-August 1989 Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research and Development 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 400 7th St., S.W., Washington, DC 20590 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract Proposals are currently being developed for high-speed wheel-on-rail passenger train service in several intercity corridors in the United States. These proposals involve the application of foreign high-speed train technology, and operation at speeds exceeding 125 mph. This report provides an assessment of safety issues associated with high-speed rail passenger systems, and identifies where further research may be needed to ensure the safe operation of such systems in the United States railroad environment. The approach taken in this assessment was to first "identify and describe the key safety-related features of all high-speed rail systems that may be applied in the United States. Then all safety issues associated with passenger rail systems are identified, and pertinent safety-related regulations, standards and practices applicable in the U.S. and on foreign systems are discussed. Each discussion concludes with a recommendation regarding the need for research into the safety issue: The principal issues on which research appears desirable include passenger car structural strength requirements, novel brake system performance, security of the right-of-way against obstructions, and high-speed signalling and train control systems. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement High-Speed Rail Document is available to the Public throug Railroad Safety the National Technical Information Signal and Train Control Systems Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161 Locomotives, passenger cars, High-speed track systems 19. Security Clossif. (of this report) 20. Security Claui f. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 189 Form DOT F 1700.7 (B-72J Reproduction of completed page authorized METRIC CONVERSION FACTORS Length Density 3 4 3 1 inch 25.4 nun 1 Ib/in 2.768 X 10 kg/m 2 !it .......).. 1 ft 304.8 mm 1 lb/fe 16.019 kg/m 1 yard 0.9144 m 1 mile 1.609 km Force 1 lb force 4.448 N .~ Area 1 in2 645.16 mm2 Pressure 1 ff 0.0929 m2 1 Ibf/in 2 6.894 kN/m2 1 yd2 0.8361 m2 Energy 1 acre 0.4046 ha 1 mile2 2.590 km2 1 ft-lbf 1.354 J 1 Btu 1.055 kJ Volume 1 in 3 16387 mm3 Power 1 fe 0.0283 m2 1 hp 0.7457 kW 1 US gall 3.637 1 Temperature 1°F 5/9° K Velocity Mass 1 ft/sec 0.3048 m/sec 1 lb 0.4536 kg 1 milelh 0.447 m/sec 1 US ton 0.9072 tonnes 1.6093 km/h (metric tons) • ii ABBREVIATIONS Many abbreviations are in common use for railroad organizatiom and high-speed rail systems and their components. This list provides a convenient reference for those used frequently in this repon. AAR Association of American Railroads • ABS Ausbaustrecken. Existing lines of German Federal Railways rebuilt for high speed operation, usually at 125 mph AREA American Railway Engineering Association ATC Automatic Train Control--systems which provide some degree of automatic initiation of braking if signal indications are not obeyed by train operator ATO Automatic Train Operation-a system of automatic control of train movements from start-to-stop. Customarily applied to rail rapid transit operations ATCS Advanced Train Control Systems-a specific project of the AAR to develop train control systems with enhanced capabilities ATP Automatic Train Protection-usually a comprehensive system of supervision of train operator actions. Will initiate braking if speed limits or signal indications are not obeyed AWS Automatic Warning System--cab signalling system used on British Rail CONEG Coalition of Nonheastern Governors CWR Continuous Welded Rail DB Deutche Bundesbahn-German Federal Railways DIN Deutehes Institut for Normung-German National Standards Institute iii EMI Electro-Magnetic Intetference-usually used in connection with the intetference with signal control circuits caused by high power electric traction systems FCC Federal Communications Commission (United States) FRA Federal Railroad Administration of the United States Department of Transponation FS Ferrovie dello Stat~Italian State Railways HSR High-Speed Rail HST High-Speed Train-British Rail high-speed diesrel­ electric trainset ICE Inter-City Express or Inter-City Experimental-a high­ speed train-set developed for German Federal Railways ISO International Standards Organization JNR Japanese National Railways~rganizationformerly responsible for rail services in Japan. Was reorganized as the Japan Railways (JR) Group on April 1, 1987, comprising several regional railways, a freight business and a Shinkansen holding company JR Japan Railways-see JNR LGV Ligne a Grand Vitesse-French newly-built high-speed lines. See also TGV LRC Light Rapid Comfonable. A high-speed diesel-electric train-set developed in Canada LN LateralNenical. Usually refers to force ratios applied to the rail by a wheel LZB Linienzugbeeinflussung-German Federal Railways system of automatic train control MU Multiple Unit. A train on which all or most passenger cars are individually powered and no separate locomotive is used IV NBS Neubaustrecken--Gennan Federal Railway newly-built high-speed lines NEC Northeast Corridor (United States). The Boston~ Washington Rail Corridor NFPA National Fire Protection Association (United States) PSE Paris Sud-Est. The high-speed line from Paris to Lyon on French National Railways RENFE Rede Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Espanoles-Spanish National Railways SBB Schweizerische Bundesbahnen-Swiss Federal Railways SJ Statens Jarnvagar-Swedish State Railways SNCF Societe Nationale des Chemin de Fer Francais-French National Railways TGV Train a Grand Vitesse-French High Speed Train. Also used to refer to complete high-speed train system UMTA Urban Mass Transportation Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation US United States v TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I -INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF HIGH SPEED RAIL SAFETY ISSUES 1.1 BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION 1-1 1.1.1 Background to the Study I-I 1.1.2 Objectives and Scope of Study 1-2 1.1.3 Guide to this Report 1-4 1.2 IDENTIFICAnON OF SAFETY ISSUES 1-5 1.2.1 Introduction 1-5 1.2.2 High-Speed Rail Accident Fault Tree 1-6 1.2.3 Past U.S. Rail Passenger Experience 1-10 1.2.4 Summary of Safety Issues and Sub-Issues 1-18 1.3 WORLDWIDE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH SPEED RAIL SYSTEMS 1-23 1. 3.1 Introduction 1-23 1.3.2 Systems Operating at 125 mph on Existing Tracks 1-23 1.3.3 High Speed Systems Operating at Speeds Substantially Over 125 mph 1-25 1.3.4 Carbody Tilt Systems and High Cant Deficiency Operations 1-2g 1.3.5 Automatic Train Control 1-2~ 1.4 SUMMARY OF KEY SAFETY ISSUES AND RECOi\lMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 1-31 1.4.1 Introduction 1-31 1.4.2 Summary of Recommendations - Rolling Stock 1-33 1.4.3 Summary of Recommendations-Track and Infrastructure 1-3(, 1.4.4 Summary of Recommendations-Signalling and Electrification Systems 1-37 Vl TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page PART II - DETAILED INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS --,'- ILl DESCRIPTION OF HIGH SPEED RAIL SYSTEMS II-I II. 1. 1 Introduction II-I ~ II. 1.2 Canada - The Light Rapid Comfonable (LRC) Train II-4 11.1.3 The French Train A Grand Vitesse (TGV) 11-9 11.1.4 France - ANF Turbo Train II-22 11.1.5 Gennany - The ICE and the Neubaustrecken 11-25 11.1.6 Gennany - The Class 120 Locomotive 11-35 11.1.7 Great Britain - The HST 11-37 11.1.8 British Rail Intercity 225 (Class 91/Mark IV Coach) 11-43 11.1.9 Italy - The Pendelino (ETR 450) 11-48 11.1.10 Italy - The ETR 500 High Speed Trains and Infrastructure II-53 11.1.11 Japan - The Shinkansen II-56 11.1.12 Spain -TALGO 11-67 11.1.13 Sweden - The X2 11-71 11.1.14 Switzerland - Bahn 2000 11-75 11.2 ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SAFETY ISSUES 11-78 11.2.1 Introduction 11-78 11.2.2 Rolling Stock 11-92 11.2.2.1 Rolling Stock Structural Strength 11-92 11.2.2.2 Engineers Cab Crashwonhiness and Safety II-97 11.2.2.3 Truck Design and Construction II-101 II.2.2.4 Brake Installation and Perfonnance 11-103 11.2.2.5 Track-Train Interaction Including High Cant Deficiency Operation II-106 11.2.2.6 Rolling Stock Inspection and