What Is Fire & Smoke?
Railway fire and smoke test is a group of tests in which the materials and components to be used in rail vehicles are evaluated according to the requirement sets (R sets) defined in EN 45545-2 in terms of heat release, diffusion, smoke density and smoke toxicity.
Purpose of Fire & Smoke
The aim is to verify that the material meets fire safety requirements at the hazard level (HL1–HL3) corresponding to the vehicle type and operating category.
Which Products Is Fire & Smoke Applied To?
- Sofa and upholstery materials
- Interior trim panels and ceiling
- Cable and cable channels
- Floor coverings and insulation
In Which Sectors Is Fire & Smoke Used?
Standards Related to Fire & Smoke
- EN 45545-2fire safety in railway vehicles test
- EN ISO 5659-2 (smoke density)
- EN ISO 5660-1 (koni kalorimetre)
- EN ISO 4589-2 (LOI)
- EN 45545-1 (tehlike seviyeleri)
- EN 50155electronic equipment in railway vehicles test
- EN 50121electromagnetic compatibility in railway applications test
- EN 45545fire safety in railway vehicles test
- IEC 61373vibration and shock in railway vehicle equipment test
Fire & Smoke Conditions
- Requirement set
- The R set defined in EN 45545-2 is selected depending on the use of the material.
- Tehlike seviyesi
- HL1, HL2 or HL3 depending on vehicle type and operating mode
- Quantities measured
- Heat release rate (MARHE), smoke density (Ds), smoke toxicity (CIT), diffusivity
- Specimen orientation
- Defined in the standard; represents the usage position
Equipment for Fire & Smoke
- Cone calorimeter
- Density of smoke (NBS) room
- Toksik gaz analiz sistemi (FTIR)
- LOI and flame spread test setups
Sample Requirements for Fire & Smoke
- The sample must be of actual thickness and layer arrangement
- The place of use of the material and the R set must be determined in advance
- Conditioning should be done in the environment defined in the standard
- The number of samples is defined in the standard for each experiment.
Duration of Fire & Smoke
Typically 4–8 weeks depending on the number of requirement clusters.
Fire & Smoke Procedure
- 1The place of use of the material and the R set are determined.
- 2The hazard level (HL) is defined.
- 3Specimens are conditioned.
- 4Every experiment in the set R is implemented.
- 5The measured values are compared to the limits of EN 45545-2.
- 6The result is reported on a HL basis.
Fire & Smoke Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance criteria are the limit values given for each R set and hazard level in EN 45545-2.
Evaluation of Results
The same material falls into different R clusters in different places of use, and material passing in one cluster may remain in the other. Additionally, the HL level is determined by vehicle and business type; A material that passes for HL2 cannot be used in a vehicle that requires HL3.
Fire & Smoke Report
- Applied standards
- Material definition, thickness and layer layout
- Place of use, R cluster and HL level
- Measurement result and limit for each experiment
- Assessment
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Rail Interoperability legislation and TSI requirements
Demiryolu Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Fire & Smoke test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Railway testing shows that vehicles and components operate safely and reliably in the rail environment. The character of this family comes from the ASSUMPTION OF LONG LIFE: a rail vehicle is designed for a service life exceeding thirty years and its components remain under vibration, temperature cycling and intensive use throughout that period.
Long life also shapes the component supply chain. Spare parts must remain available for thirty years, electronic components going out of production must be replaced, and every substitution must be re-verified. This takes railways out of a "certify once and carry on" logic.
Fire safety is the most tightly regulated part of the field and runs through the EN 45545 series. The logic of the series rests on the LOCATION OF USE and the OPERATION CATEGORY: a metro running in tunnels and an intercity train do not carry the same risk, and seat fabric and cable are not assessed in the same category. Evacuation time is the main factor setting these categories; because evacuation takes longer in an enclosed tunnel, the material requirements become stricter.
For electronic equipment, EN 50155 is the framework standard and carries environmental, electrical and functional requirements together: supply voltage variations, temperature classes, humidity, vibration and shock. On the vibration and shock side the EN 61373 categories are used and these differ by mounting location — a box mounted on the body and a sensor mounted on the bogie do not go through the same profile.
On electromagnetic compatibility the EN 50121 series applies and addresses a problem peculiar to railways: the traction system switches at very high power and can affect both the systems on board and the signalling along the line. The series therefore carries separate parts for the vehicle, lineside installations and signalling.
For safety-related systems a separate body of work applies, and here the evidence is not testing but PROCESS: EN 50126 (RAMS), EN 50128 (software) and EN 50129 (safety-related electronic systems) define the safety life cycle and the safety integrity levels (SIL). Signalling and brake control systems are assessed within this framework.
On the quality side, the sector's own scheme IRIS (ISO/TS 22163) comes into play; major vehicle manufacturers require this certificate from their suppliers.
On the mechanical structure side, the car body and bogie frame have standards of their own: structural verification under static and fatigue loads, weld quality and crashworthiness. These tests are carried out on full-scale rigs and can take months.
Method groups in this field
Fire safety
Classification of materials and components under EN 45545; the requirement set according to operation and design category.
Electronic equipment
EN 50155 environmental and electrical requirements; supply interruptions, temperature classes, humidity and degree of protection.
Vibration and shock
EN 61373 categories; body, bogie and axle-mounted profiles according to mounting location.
Electromagnetic compatibility
The EN 50121 series: separate parts for the vehicle, lineside installations and signalling.
Safety life cycle
EN 50126 RAMS, EN 50128 software and EN 50129 safety-related systems; SIL determination and the safety case.
Structural verification
Static and fatigue loads on the car body and bogie frame, weld quality, crashworthiness.
Commonly confused in this field
- EN 45545 requirements vary with the location of use and the operation category; there is no single "railway fire class".
- Conformity to EN 50155 does not cover the vibration requirements; EN 61373 is applied in addition.
- A civil EMC report is not sufficient for railways; the EN 50121 series defines a different environment and different limits.
- For safety-related systems, testing alone is not evidence; safety life cycle records are required.
- A component change (even one driven by obsolescence) requires re-verification; in long-life projects this is routine work.
- An IRIS certificate is not a product approval; it is a quality system certificate.
Which decisions these results support
- Vehicle and component approval, operator acceptance processes
- Material selection according to the fire safety category
- The safety case and SIL evidence for safety-related systems
- Supply chain quality certification
- Continuity of component supply and change management
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Fire & Smoke
Is the EN 45545 certificate valid for all vehicles?
No. The result depends on the material's use (R set) and the hazard level of the vehicle (HL1–HL3). The report should clearly state which R cluster and which HL it applies to.