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NEWCASTLE, England — In the last 10 years, several deadly train bombings have plagued different parts of the world, including the 2005 7/7 London bombings that claimed more than 50 lives. Now, a group of British engineers are working on bomb-proof trains in case of a future attack.
The engineers, from Newcastle University of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, are working as part of the SecureMetro iniative. The European Union-funded project was launched three years ago with the goal of developing inherently secure, blast-resistant and fire-safe metro vehicles, according to their website.
Trains are a common route of travel and public transit, but bombings like those in Madrid in 2004 and Mumbai in 2006 have opened these engineers' eyes to what changes need to be made in terms of train safety.
"The Madrid bombings in 2004 and 7/7 attack in London the year after highlighted how vulnerable our trains are to attack — particularly busy metro and commuter trains," Conor O'Neill, leader of the project, told The Telegraph.
- To increase metro vehicle resilience to terrorist bomb blast through selection of vehicle materials and structural design.
- To increase security against a firebomb attack through design of fire barriers and fire suppression technology while also contributing to passenger safety from accidental or vandalism fires.
- To increase the resilience of vehicles to blasts in order to speed-up recovery following attack, allowing the rail system to return to normal operation quickly.
- To reduce the attractiveness of metro systems as a target for attack by reducing deaths and injuries, increased resilience, reducing economic impact and making recovery faster.
Source: SecureMetro
But because replacing all existing trains isn't an option, the engineers are working on improving the safety of existing trains.
"These are all low-cost, simple solutions that can be put on existing trains which could not only save lives but also reduce the attractiveness of our railways for potential terrorist attacks," O'Neill said.
The project has come a long way and has improved both interior and exterior components of trains. This video highlights the progress of the project, first showing the explosion of a train with no improvements, then contrasting it with a bomb exploding in a train with added safety measures.
Before the additions, doors, debris and windows flew from the exterior of the carriage while the interior collapsed to the point that survivors wouldn't have an exit route. In the SecureMetro prototype, the engineers added a coating to the windows to prevent all but the safety windows from blowing out, in addition to making ceiling tiles more secure to keep exits clear.
The SecureMetro prototype isn't designed to solely prevent injuries inside the train, but to protect any onlookers or passersby who may be near the explosion as well.
Top image credit: The Daily Telegraph
Email: caorton@ksl.com
