Passenger trains carry hundreds of people in enclosed spaces. A fire can spread quickly, and if evacuation is delayed or poorly managed, it can lead to serious injuries or fatalities. Smoke inhalation is especially dangerous in confined train cars.
While the rate of train fires is historically relatively low, these are high consequence incidents. ONRSR is closely monitoring a recent spate of fires on trains, both in Australia and overseas, caused by e-rideables (including e-scooters and e-skateboards) that have caused potentially catastrophic fires on trains. ONRSR has raised its concerns about this emerging safety risk with passenger rail operators and how it is addressed via revisions to safety management systems.