Knowledge library
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 dollars. 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 a metro 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
UL1479
Flammability, smoke emission and toxicity
NFPA130/EN45545
Low smoke, zero halogen (LSZH)

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 UL and NFPA compliant seals are perfect for use in many different railway applications, such as traction power, trackside equipment, tunnels, bridges and railway stations.

Explore where you can benefit from Roxtec seals

Trackside bungalow before and after installation of Roxtec R and RS seals.

Roxtec solutions help you overcome multiple sealing challenges

Roxtec R transits, Roxtec RS seals and Roxtec H seals are ideal for the rail industry. The Roxtec R is a round transit for sealing around multiple cables and pipes in a limited area while the Roxtec RS is a penetration seal for a single cable or pipe. Roxtec H is a round seal that is tailor-made for your needs.

Quick reference sizing chart

When sealing the OD of conduits, Roxtec seals can be utilized with sleeves and/or core drill openings. The charts show corresponding Roxtec seals per conduit sizes.

Conduit range	Roxtec series	Core drill size	Roxtec weld sleeve	Bolt/cast sleeve
1/2" (.315"-1.181")	RS50 OMD	2"	SLRS 50 AISI316	SLFRS 50 AISI316
3/4" (.315"-1.181")	RS50 OMD	2"	SLRS 50 AISI316	SLFRS 50 AISI316
1" (.945"-2.126")	RS75 OMD	3"	SLRS 75 AISI316	SLFRS 75 AISI316
1 1/2" (.945"-2.126")	RS75 OMD	3"	SLRS 75 AISI316	SLFRS 75 AISI316
2" (1.890"-2.756")	RS100 OMD	4"	SLRS 100 AISI316	SLFRS 100 AISI316
2 1/2" (2.598"-3.858")	RS125 OMD	5"	SLRS 125 AISI316	SLFRS 125 AISI316
3" (2.598"-3.858")	RS125 OMD	5"	SLRS 125 AISI316	SLFRS 125 AISI316
3 1/2" (3.661-4.685")	RS150 OMD	6"	SLRS 150 AISI316	SLFRS 150 AISI316
4" (3.661"-4.685")	RS150 OMD	6"	SLRS 150 AISI316	SLFRS 150 AISI316
5" (4.685"-5.709")	RS175	7"	SLRS 175 AISI316	SLFRS 175 AISI316
6" (5.433"-6.693")	RS200	8"	SLRS 200 AISI316	SLFRS 200 AISI316

RGS
OD	1.315	1.900	2.375	2.875	3.500	4.500	5.563	6.625
ID Average	1.063	1.624	2.083	2.489	3.090	4.050	5.073	6.093

PVC (40)
OD	1.315	1.900	2.375	2.875	3.500	4.500	5.563	6.625
ID Average	1.029	1.590	2.047	2.445	3.042	3.998	5.016	6.031

PVC (80)
OD	1.315	1.900	2.375	2.875	3.500	4.500	5.563	6.625
ID Average	0.936	1.476	1.913	2.290	2.864	3.789	4.768	5.709

FRE Underground
OD	1.315	1.900	2.375	2.875	3.500	4.460	5.572	6.627
ID Average	1.175	1.760	2.235	2.735	3.360	4.320	5.380	6.435