Disaster Prevention of a High Speed Rail System – Lessons learnt in a recent earthquake

T.C. Kao

Vice President - Engineering (retired) Taiwan HSR Corp.ProfessorNational Taiwan University Visiting Scholar and ProfessorUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign

NNational ational TTaiwan aiwan

UUniversityniversity

Disaster Prevention System

How to prevent ?

• Strengthen infrastructure

• Installing protection measures

• Installing disaster warning systems

• Operation of procedures

• Training

Disasters

• Earthquake

• Strong wind

• Heavy rainfall

• Flood

• Landslide

• Rock fall

• Avalanche

• Vehicular intrusion

5

Design for Safety

• Appropriate loading , Speed & Specifications

• Easy to evacuate the passenger under abnormal conditions– emergency exits cases at least every 3000m

• To contain the train on viaduct in case of derailment– To provide derailment protection wall on both sides of tracks.

Protective Systems

Disaster Warning Systems

Wind Velocity Detector

Flood Detector

Rain Fall Detector

Land Slide Detector

Track Safety Protection Equip.

Earthquake Detector

Vehicle Fall Detection

Rock Fall Detector

SignalO3 loop

Switch Machine

Track Circuit

Disaster warning systems

Substation

THSRC Disaster Warning Systems

• Earthquake – 51 (11 Main + 40 Sub)

• Strong Wind – 21

• Heavy Rain – 18

• Flood – 42

• Landslide – 60

• Rock Fall – 96

• Intrusion of Vehicles – 34

Example – THSRC TRAIN OPERATION RESTRICTION RULES FOR EARTHQUAKE

HAZARDS

Area of control/ Operation restriction area

THSRC disaster warning system

S C H

IS C E R

Main EarthquakeSensor (mechanic)

Main EarthquakeSensor (electronic)

40 gal

Relayframe

Sub EarthquakeSensor (electronic)

SCER = Signaling and Communication Equipment Room

SCH = Signaling and Communication Hut

S C E R S C R

D W S

A na lys is

C om puter

O C C

SCR = Station Control Room

ISCER = Intermediate Signaling and Communication Equipment Room

OCC = Operation Control Centre

AT C / E I

Peak Acceleration

Universal Console

M im ic P ro jec tio n

Peak Acceleration

Universal ConsoleUniversal Console

Universal Console> 120 gal

> 80 gal

> 40 gal

Operation Restriction Rules for Natural Hazards (THSRC-BL2000-015)

Earthquake Level Train Operation Restriction within Affected Area Emergency Patrol by Maintenance staff (Civil, Track, & OCS Staff)

Alarm

Level

Strength Stop trains immediately

Train Operation Stop

Train Speed Restriction (Note 1)

Ground Patrol to Resume Operation

1 ≧40gal＜ 80gal

(4.0 to 4.4 Richter)

Yes

None (Resume operation

Bas directed by OCC)

Under 70km/h

(30km/h in special cases (Note 2))

None

2 ≧80gal＜ 120gal

(4.5 to 4.9 Richter)

Yes Yes

Under 70km/h

(30km/h in special cases (Note 2))

Yes

Ground Patrol and inspection of specific infrastructure points in the affected area by the Civil, Track & OCS staff.

3 ≧120gal

(5.0 and above)

Yes Yes

Under 70km/h

(30km/h in special cases (Note 2))

Yes

Ground Patrol and inspection in the affected area by the Civil, Track & OCS staff.

Note 1: According to the line condition by construction, weather, etc. and regard a more serious Train Speed Restriction is needed, the Train Speed Restriction shall follow the recommendation of the Permanent Way.

Note 2: Considering the weather condition of Continuous Rainfall, temperature visibility etc.

Document Tree for Response to Natural Hazards

Maintenance procedure to response to Earthquake

Operation Implementation Regulation

THSRC-CF2-200-001

Train Operation Restriction Rules

for Natural Hazards

THSRC-BL2000-015

Disaster Warning System

Operation Regulation to Respond to Earthquake

Maintenance Procedure to Respond to Earthquake

Implementation of Procedures

Operation Implementation

Regulation THSRC-CF2-

200-001

Maintenance procedure to response to Earthquake

Train Controller

Train Controller

Train Controller

Power Controller

Facility Controller

Chief Controller

Passenger Service

Controller

Timetable Controller

Train Crew & Trainset Controller

Rainfall operation controls

2010 Kaohsiung Earthquake(March 4, 2010)

What happen?

• The Earthquake• The impact on the train operation• The reaction of the disaster warning

system• The passenger experience

Magnitude 6.4 Earthquakeamax 0.29 g

Landslide in adjacent area

Six trains affected

Train #101401403105405408

Speed (Km/hr)29816092

294296289

How the train react?( Train # 110)

DWS trigger

ATC ground

On board

Brake applied

1.2 sec 0.67 sec

Total 1.87 sec

08 19:11

TK294.1

08 19:12.2 08 19:12.87

Bogie Instability Detector alarm

08 19:20.17 08 20:28

Train stop

TK297.1298 kph

TK296.5272 kph

TK293.8

3.3km (76 sec)

Six trains affected

Train #101401403105405408

Speed (Km/hr)29816092

294296289

Time(sec)763519808279

Distance (km)3.3 0.80.33.53.63.4

The passenger experience• 8:06 am boarding the north bound HST # 101• Suddenly, the train started vibrating and became

more severely.• Hitting rock, dust came up• Felt helpless• Subside & finally stop• Announcement: “ Waiting for reason of train

stop.”• Announcement: “ Due to earthquake…..”

The passenger experience (cont’d)

• Communication with outside world• Fire broke out in nearby factory• Headcounts• About 2 hours later start disembarking• Excited to walk on a railway and take photo

with the derailed train.

End

Any questions?