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Composites Enable Unified Solutions for

Savings Safety and Style in Expanding
Rolling Stock Global Market
Thomas Johnson, Ashland Performance Materials

ll the studies point to the same

conclusion - passenger rail ridership is up tremendously. The latest
UNIFE (Association of the European Rail
Industry) report confirms this observation. UNIFE reports that rolling stock has
now reached some 50 million units
across 50 countries with an annual
growth rate of 2 - 2.5 percent annually.
Total market volume is currently projected
at 37 billion euros. Europe remains the
dominant market for rail coach procurement with North America coming in second, but the Asia-Pacific region is soon
expected to overtake North America as
the second largest consumer of coaches.
In the U.S., the APTA (American Public
Transportation Association) reports the
highest ridership numbers in more than
50 years. With the continuing high costs
of fuel, and congestion of roadways globally, it is easy to see why more people are
turning to rail as the single-best solution
in meeting todays transportation needs.
During the Bush administration, rail
projects were not high on the U.S.
agenda, and federal financing was not
readily available. Under the Obama administration, however, interest in passenger rail investment has increased
dramatically. Industrial Information Research (IIR) is currently tracking 90 rail
projects with a value exceeding $17 billion. Another $100 billion in new projects
are currently in various planning stages.
Going forward, it is anticipated that the
green movement will accelerate the use
of public transportation. In the U.S.,
greenhouse gases from transportation
currently represent a third of all emissions. Research has shown that public
transportation can save up to 37 million
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Railway Technology International

Modar resin was used to make the aerodynamic front of this train.
metric tons (MT) of CO2 annually. Thats
about the same as the emissions generated by the electricity consumed in five
million homes. Public transportation offers an immediate alternative for individuals looking to reduce energy
consumption, commuting expenses, and
their carbon footprint.
Weight is a paramount concern in
rolling stock, given the high cost of fuel.
Fuel costs for public transportation systems have nearly doubled since 2004.
Fuel has risen from 6 per cent of operating budgets to 11 per cent today. Using
composites to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics has long been
demonstrated to bring significant fuel
consumption reductions. Alstom, for example reports a 15 per cent reduction in
fuel consumption, and some 70 MT
weight reduction on its AGV train, using
composites.

Composite materials, or glass reinforced plastics (GRP), are most commonly found in interior passenger coach
components. GRP enables the coach designer to mould in multiple features, thus
reducing part assembly requirements,
labour and maintenance. Designers can
also mould in surface textures that deter
graffiti. Composites are used heavily in
ceiling and floor panels, front ends, sidewalls, window masks, luggage stowage,
lavatories, kitchen and driver compartment modules, and seating units.
Fire safety in rail applications is a critical concern. One of the best means to
satisfy this need is mandated FR (Fire
Resistance) norms and performance
standards. Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc.
(NYSE: ASH), has developed a full line of
fire-resistant composite resins for use in
fabricating FR compliant components for

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A dining car interior features GRP

components for comfort and aesthetics
as well as safety

Mass transit interiors feature Modar

resin technology in maintenance panels
and flooring

Resins used in coach construction

protect travelers by featuring low smoke
and low flame potential.

the rail market. These products are most

commonly sold under the HETRON and
MODAR brand names. As an international manufacturer and supplier to this
industry, Ashland has developed commercial products that meet or exceed the
regulatory demands in nearly every corner of the world. Ashlands HETRON and
MODAR resins find use in a wide variety
of fabrication processes - from hand layup and pultrusion to sheet moulding compounds to infusion.
Generally speaking, the EU and U.S.
have been developing their own individual FR norms since the 20th century. Occasionally, one nation has adopted the
standards of another for expediency, or
because no local FR norm existed. The
end result has been a proliferation of FR
regulations for a multitude of applications
based upon a wide variety of FR test
methods. In particular, the EU has an urgent need to harmonise its FR standards.
The architectural and railway markets
have provided the initial focus for European FR standard harmonisation. Marine
FR requirements typically defer to the
world standards of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). In the architectural market, the EU has recently
published EN 13501-2; the famous Euroclass standard. For the railway market,

the EU has established EN 45545 for Fire

Protection on Railway Vehicles.
Here is brief description of the EN
13501 for Construction Products:

Top performing thermoset glass reinforced plastic (GRP) composites can

likely achieve a rating of B / S2 / d0. By
their very nature, thermosets will not develop a droplet rating above d0, however, their organic content generally
precludes an A classification for fire.
Composite materials remain a relatively
new technology in the rail market.
Their potential is most certainly underestimated.
Dramatic changes have occurred in
recent times. Railway infrastructure / networks and operating companies for
trains have been split (for instance in
France SNCF / Rseau Ferr de France
(RFF) -French Railways Network). Public operators have been sold to private
companies. The train industry overall has
become considerably more concentrated, and major players have acquired
facilities all over Europe (e.g. Fiat Ferrovia now belongs to Alstom). Trains are
now crossing national borders more and
more frequently. The EU commission is
looking to unravel the market protectionism afforded by the old national FR
norms. EN 45545 will be a key milestone
to unite disparate national FR standards
under a single umbrella.
At the same time, the rail industry is
growing at an unprecedented rate. And
whether you live in New York, London,
Shanghai or Mumbai, the demands are
much the same for fire protection in passenger rail rolling stock. Comprehensive
FR technology from Ashland as found in
its HETRON and MODAR resins enables
composites to deliver fuel savings, aesthetic appearance, and public safety without compromise in passenger rail
applications.

There are seven Euroclasses: A1, A2,

B, C, and D & E; the most stringent is
A1: no contribution to fire. For smoke
emissions: S1, S2, S3; for droplets, d0,
d1, d2.
Products are classified by five tests.
Small Flame (ignitability)
pr EN ISO 11925-2.
Radiant Panel
pr EN ISO 9239-1.
Bomb Calorimeter
pr EN ISO 1716.
Single Burning Item
EN 13823.
Little Furnacepr
EN ISO 1182.
New Euroclasses will replace all existing national classifications. For example,
today in France, building materials that
carry the French classification M/F will be
reclassified according to the new Euroclass standard. The following table displays a rough approximation of how the
new Euroclasses will line up with existing
national FR standards in France, Germany, and the U.K.

Contact information
NC stands for non combustible

For more information please visit:

www.ashland.com

Railway Technology International