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Application areas
Rail issues and sealing solutions

Causes of downtime and revenue loss in the rail industry

How to protect against water, rats, vibration and fire.

Water accumulating in manholes along the track can cause costly downtime. Rodents and vibration affect sensitive equipment that may cause fatal accidents. Each year, fire causes damage worth millions of pounds. These are some of the challenges in the rail industry that call for best practices concerning cable retention and sealing. Even if no actual lasting damage occurs, the repairs will lead to downtime and project delays.

When ground water accumulates in confined spaces, such as underground vaults and manholes, rail transit operators face unexpected costs:

Frequent pump outs
Cleaning
Inspections
Permitting for entry into confined spaces
Use of specialty safety equipment
Internal paperwork
Documentation of following risk reduction programs
Third party certified testers
Downtime and loss of revenue
Equipment failure

Learn more on costs caused by weather events in the paper “Demand for water mitigation in rail infrastructure".

Vibration, shockwaves and ground settings are threats to crucial cabling. If outdoor seals for traction power, signaling and communication start to move, there may be a standstill. Areas where cables, conduits and pipes enter structures are also entry points for vermin. Rats cause major disruption to electrical and signaling systems by chewing through cables, which calls for both costly and risky work:

Cleaning
Disposal
Rewiring
Outages
HPS (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome) transmitted from rodents to humans

When a fire starts spreading in a tunnel, in an underground system or at a railway station, every moment is a question of life and death. Owners and operators need to specify fire rated sealing solutions that are tested and certified to prevent fire from spreading:

Fire rated up to 4 hours and non-toxic smoke
BS EN 1366
Flammability, smoke emission and toxicity
Low smoke, zero halogen (LSZH)
LUL-1085

Application areas for Roxtec seals

Roxtec sealing solutions for cable, pipe and conduit penetrations are watertight to withstand climate change. The seals provide cable retention according to EN61373 to protect against vibration in exposed application areas such as overhead decks. They form a strong rodent barrier and have certificates and test results proving excellent fire protection. Click to the right to see that Roxtec BS, EN, LUL and NR compliant seals are perfect for use in many different railway applications, such as traction power, trackside equipment, tunnels, bridges and railway stations.