Fire and Life Safety Requirements for Metro Trainways
K-1 Application
Provisions of this annex shall apply to all portions of underground, elevated and at-grade metro trainway including tail buffer tracks and sidings not intended to be occupied by the passengers. These provisions may be amended, if required, as per the approval of the Competent Authority.
K-2 Use and Occupancy
K-2.1 Passengers shall be allowed to enter the trainway only in the case it becomes necessary to evacuate a train.
K-2.2 Passenger evacuation from train onto the
trainway shall take place only under the guidance and control of authorized, trained system employee or other authorized personnel as warranted under an emergency situation.
K-2.3 Warning signs in accordance with K-4.4.1 shall be posted at locations where unauthorized personnel might trespass.
K-3 Construction
K-3.1 Construction Type
K-3.1.1 Cut and Cover
Where trainways are to be constructed by cut and cover method, perimeter walls, base and roof slabs and other
PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY
related constructions shall be of not less than Type 1 or Type 2 or combination of Types 1 and 2 non-combustible constructions as defined in this Part. The type of construction shall be further determined by an engineering analysis of potential fire exposure hazards to the structure.
K-3.1.2 Bored Tunnels
Where trainway sections are to be constructed by a tunnelling method through earth, unprotected steel liners, reinforced concrete, shotcrete, or equivalent shall be permitted to be used.
K-3.1.3 Rock Tunnels
Where trainway sections are to be constructed by a tunnelling method through rock, steel bents with concrete liner, if lining is required, shall be permitted to be used.
K-3.1.4 Underwater Tunnels
Underwater tunnels shall be not less than Type 2 constructions.
K-3.1.5 Mid Tunnel Ventilation Shaft and Trainway Exit structures
Mid tunnel ventilation shafts and trainway emergency egress or access stairs shall not be less than Type 1 construction.
K-3.1.6 At-Grade Construction
Materials used for at-grade construction shall not be less than Type 2 materials. The type of construction shall be further determined by an engineering analysis of potential fire exposure hazards to the structure.
K-3.1.7 Elevated Viaduct or Portals
All elevated structures necessary for trainway support and all structures and enclosures on or under the trainway shall be of not less than Type 1 or Type 2 or combination of Type 1 and Type 2 construction. The type of construction shall be further determined by an engineering analysis of potential fire exposure hazards to the structure.
K-3.2 Protection against Intrusion of Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Flooding of Enclosed Trainway
Any structure including emergency egress or access stairs or vent or fan shaft structure utilized for ventilation of underground system shall be permitted to be terminated at grade, provided that the level at which it is terminated is at least 450 mm above the surrounding ground level/footpath level.
K-3.3 Compartmentation
K-3.3.1 Ancillary areas shall be separated from 104
trainway areas within underwater trainway sections by construction having a minimum 180 min fire resistance rating.
K-3.3.2 Ancillary areas shall be separated from trainway areas within enclosed trainway sections by construction having a minimum 120 min fire resistance rating.
K-3.4 Combustible Components
Where combustible components not specifically mentioned here are installed in a trainway, a fire hazard analysis shall be conducted to determine that the level of occupant fire safety is not adversely affected by the contents.
K-3.5 Walking Surfaces
Walking surfaces designated for evacuation of passengers shall be constructed of non-combustible materials.
K-4 Emergency Egress
K-4.1 Location of Egress Routes
K-4.1.1 The system shall incorporate a walking surface or other approved means for passengers to evacuate a train at any point along the trainway so that they can proceed to the nearest station or other point of safety.
K-4.1.2 Walkway continuity shall be maintained at special track sections like cross over or pocket tracks. Walkway continuity shall be provided by cross walks at track level.
K-4.1.3 Within enclosed trainways, the maximum distance between emergency exits/exit stairways shall not exceed 750 m.
K-4.1.4 For trainways in twin bore tunnels or trainways in a tunnel divided by a minimum 120 min fire rated wall separation, cross-passageways shall be permitted to be used in-lieu of emergency exit stairways.
K-4.1.5 Where cross passageways are utilized in-lieu of emergency exit stairways, the following requirements shall apply:
a) First cross-passageway shall be provided not farther than 500 m from the end of platform of an enclosed station or from the tunnel portal or from a mid-tunnel exit way.
b) Distance between any two cross-passageways shall not be more than 250 m.
c) The crossover in an enclosed trainway shall be considered as cross-passageway. The distance between crossover and subsequent cross-passageway shall not be more than 250 m.
d) Cross-passageways shall be separated from each trainway with separate self-closing fire door assemblies having a fire protection rating of minimum 90 min.
e) A tenable environment shall be maintained in the portion of the trainway that is not involved in an emergency and that is being used for evacuation.
f) A ventilation system for the incident trainway shall be designed to control smoke in the vicinity of the passengers.
g) Provisions shall be made for evacuating passengers via the non-incident trainway to a nearby station or other emergency exit.
h) The provisions shall include measures to protect passengers evacuating from non-incident tunnel from oncoming traffic and from other hazards.
j) Where cross-passageways are used in-lieu of emergency exit stairways, the interior of the cross-passage shall not be used for any purpose other than as an area of refuge or for access/egress to the opposite tunnel, except for installation of non-combustible equipment inside the cross passageways, provided that such equipment does not infringe the required clear space of the cross-passage.
K-4.1.6 Level of Cross Passage
The level of cross-passage inside the tunnel shall be designed in accordance to the following requirements:
a) In trainways where passengers have to walk on the track bed during evacuation, the floor of the cross-passages in such trainways shall be kept close to the level of the track bed. The maximum permitted level difference between the level of track bed and the floor of the cross passage shall be 250 mm. Further, a smooth surface for transition of level difference shall be provided at such cross-passages.
b) In trainways where passengers have to walk on a walkway mounted at the level of the train floor during evacuation, the floor of the cross-passages in such trainways shall be kept in level with the walkway. Further, such walkways shall always be provided on the cross-passageway side of the trainway for unobstructed access to the cross-passageway.
K-4.1.7 For open-cut trainways, an engineering analysis shall be conducted to evaluate the impact of the trainway configuration on safe egress from a train fire to a point of safety.
K-4.1.8 Where the engineering analysis indicates that the configuration will impact tenability beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire, egress routes shall be provided such that the maximum distance from any point within the open-cut section to a point of egress from the trainway shall not be more than 380 m.
K-4.1.9 All the distances mentioned in K-4.1.3, K-4.1.5 and K-4.1.8 shall be permitted with a maximum variation of percent.
K-4.2 Size of Egress Routes
K-4.2.1 Cross-passageways shall be a minimum of 1 200 mm in clear width and 2 100 mm in height.
K-4.2.2 The width of exit stairs shall not be required to exceed for enclosed trainways.
K-4.2.3 If double leaf doors wider than 1 200 mm are provided in egress routes serving trainways, then size of active leaf shall not be less than 810 mm.
K-4.3 Egress Components
K-4.3.1 Walking surfaces serving as egress routes within guide ways shall have a uniform, slip-resistant design except as permitted herein.
a) Where the trainway track bed serves as the emergency egress pathway, it shall be nominally level and free of obstructions.
b) Walkways that are more than 750 mm above the floor or grade below shall be provided with a continuous handrail along the side opposite the trainway.
c) Raised walkways that are greater than 1 200 mm wide and located between two trainways shall not be required to have a handrail.
d) Doors in the means of egress, except cross-passageway doors, shall open in the direction of exit travel.
e) Doors in the means of egress shall,
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open fully when a force not exceeding 220 N is applied to the latch side of the door, and
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be adequate to withstand positive and negative pressures caused by passing trains and the emergency ventilation system.
K-4.3.2 Horizontal sliding doors shall be permitted in cross-passageways.
K-4.4 Signage, Illumination and Emergency Lighting
K-4.4.1 Warning signs posted on entrances to the
PART 4 FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY
trainway and on fences or barriers adjacent to the trainway shall clearly state the hazard (for example, DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE — 25 000 V) with letter sizes and colours in conformance with requirements of Metro Railway Rules.
K-4.4.2 System egress points shall be illuminated.
K-4.4.3 Points of exit from elevated and enclosed trainways shall be marked with internally or externally illuminated signs.
K-4.4.4 Identification
Emergency exit facilities shall be identified and maintained to allow for their intended use.
K-4.4.5 Enclosed trainways greater in length than the minimum length of one train shall be provided with directional signs as appropriate for the emergency procedures developed for the metro system.
K-4.4.6 Directional signs indicating station or portal directions shall be installed at maximum 25 m intervals on either side of the enclosed trainways.
K-4.4.7 Directional signs shall be readily visible by passengers for emergency evacuation.
K-5 FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
K-5.1 Emergency Access
K-5.1 Except as described herein, points of egress and
exits from the guide way shall serve as emergency access routes.
K-5.2 If security fences are used along the trainway, access gates shall be provided in security fences.
K-5.3 Access gates shall be a minimum 1 200 mm wide and shall be of the hinged or sliding type.
K-5.4 Access gates shall be placed as close as practicable to the portals to permit easy access to tunnels.
K-5.5 Information that clearly identifies the route and location of each gate shall be provided on the gates or adjacent thereto.
K-5.6 Access to the elevated trainway shall be from stations or by mobile ladder equipment from roadways adjacent to the track way.
K-5.7 If no adjacent or crossing roadways exist for the elevated trainway, access roads at a maximum of 750 m intervals shall be required.
K-5.8 Where the configuration of an open-cut trainway prevents or impedes access for firefighting, provisions shall be made to permit fire fighter access to that section of trainway at intervals not exceeding 750 m.
K-5.9 All the distances mentioned in K-5.7 and K-5.8 above shall be permitted with a maximum variation of percent.