Ensuring Safety and Performance in Railway Systems with EN 45545 Certified Coaxial Cables 

Railways are a critical component of modern transportation infrastructure and are vital in powering the global economy. As the railway industry drives economic growth, reliable and high-performance communication systems become increasingly crucial. 

RF interconnect solutions are the backbone of the systems used to power performance-critical communications applications in locomotives, class 1 railroad, light rail, metro rail, subway systems, and more. This blog will explore the standards coaxial cables must adhere to for railway applications that require uncompromising performance, safety, and reliability, including EN 45545. 

What is EN 45545? 

EN 45545 is the European standard for fire safety in railway applications. It applies to materials used in the manufacture of rail vehicles and specifies requirements to minimize the risk of fire in applications including infrastructure and equipment.  

In the context of coaxial cables and assemblies, EN 45545 lays out specific requirements for fire resistance, smoke emission, and toxicity, including: 

• Fire Resistance: To minimize the risk of fire spreading, coaxial cables and assemblies must be designed to resist ignition and propagation of fire. 
• Smoke Emission: In the event of a fire, coaxial cables and assemblies must not emit excessive amounts of smoke.
• Toxicity: Coaxial cables and assemblies must not release toxic gases or fumes. 

To comply with EN 45545, coaxial cables and assemblies must undergo rigorous testing and meet specific performance criteria, including: 

• Flame retardancy 
• Smoke density 
• Toxic gas emission 
• Burning droplet formation 

By specifying EN 45545 certified coaxial cables and assemblies, railway operators and equipment manufacturers can ensure compliance with European fire safety regulations and minimize the risk of fire-related incidents. 

LMR®-FR Coaxial Cables: The Ultimate Solution for EN 45545 Compliance in Railway Applications 

An optimal solution for meeting EN 45545 standards in railway applications is a flexible, low-loss, flame-retardant, low-smoke coaxial cable that can operate across a wide temperature range. This includes the LMR-FR product family from Times Microwave Systems. 

With over 30 years of expertise in designing and manufacturing coaxial cables for mission-critical industries and some of the best engineers in the world on its team, we have established ourselves as a trusted partner for applications that demand high performance and reliability.  

Our LMR® family has become synonymous with quality and excellence, and the LMR-FR range takes it to the next level with enhanced fire retardancy features. LMR-FR coaxial cables are designed to offer an extra level of fire retardancy without sacrificing any properties that make the cable so popular. Users can expect the same excellent LMR performance, flexibility, and minimal signal loss, making the LMR-FR an ideal choice for demanding railway applications. 

The LMR-FR range of coaxial cables features a non-halogen (non-toxic), low-smoke, fire-retardant jacket that meets and exceeds the stringent requirements of EN 45545. This proprietary jacket is entirely fire-retardant—designed not to smoke in the event of a fire and exudes no burning droplets under fire conditions. This mitigates the risk of the cable adding to the fire or producing harmful smoke, which would be extremely dangerous, especially in applications with very little ventilation.  

Specifically, LMR-195-FR, LMR-240-FR, LMR-400-FR, and LMR-600-FR coaxial cables are all EN 45545 certified. In addition to EN 45545, the LMR-FR range has been certified to comply with all European Railway fire safety standards, including R15 and R16, making it an ideal choice for railway projects that demand uncompromising safety and performance.  

Times Microwave Systems is ISO 9001:2015 approved.