As rail systems continue to modernise, they bring with them both improvements and new challenges in safety and security.
These concerns need addressing by designers and manufacturers without compromising the advances gained in performance, according to David Kelly, Applications Engineer at Southco.
Often, the reliability of rail equipment hinges on small components, usually unnoticed by passengers.
Enhancing safety through access hardware
Southco is investigating how optimised access hardware can mitigate the unforeseen safety issues
Access hardware components, such as hinges, latches, and fasteners, play crucial roles in ensuring operational safety, passenger comfort, and system reliability.
Southco is investigating how optimised access hardware can mitigate the unforeseen safety issues associated with rail advancements.
In high-speed rail travel, where speeds exceed 300km/h, ensuring external panels remain secure is critical to preventing accidents. To address this, the usage of latches with visible mechanical indicators improves safety by reducing the likelihood of leaving panels unsecured, thereby streamlining maintenance and lowering costs.
Southco’s E3 VISE ACTION latches
The E3 VISE ACTION compression latches from Southco are extensively used on train exteriors and interiors. These latches, part of Southco's MAKE SAFETY VISIBLE range, offer features such as reflective wings that show when a latch is open, and bi-stable covers that remain open while panels are unsecured.
This visibility assists maintenance teams in quickly identifying unsecured panels. The standard safety indicator colour is red, but alternatives like yellow or orange are available for better visibility on specific systems.
Prioritising passenger comfort
Passenger comfort is often defined by the quality of design. While improvements to seating are noted, low-cost components can undermine safety, leading to issues like tables and armrests failing to hold their position.
Southco's AH-Bifold Constant Torque Hinge series utilises friction technology to maintain table positioning, preventing unexpected movement. The hinges also feature a compact design that allows tables to be stowed away efficiently.
Thin-profile and tactile experience
Compact designs like the all-metal ST series hinges, which can be integrated directly into thin-profile product housings, combine aesthetics and durability.
Southco's innovative MP Point Latch, featuring a retractable metal pull knob, enhances the tactile feedback and perceived quality, impacting both safety and passengers' impression of the train.
Balancing efficiency and security
The integration of IoT and autonomous systems have improved railway efficiency but also increased vulnerabilities to cyber threats and operational disruptions.
Southco addresses these needs with hidden latches for additional security and solutions meeting DIN EN45545-3 fire protection standards, indicating resilience to fire.
Cutting-edge connected access security
Enhancements in security are furthered by Southco’s Connected Access solutions, which integrate mechanical and electronic systems. These solutions provide remote-controlled access through RFID, PIN codes, or Bluetooth®, and allow for designing unique key styles to restrict access effectively.
Commitment to sustainability
Rail electrification has boosted sustainability credentials, and innovations in train interiors have supported inclusivity, with adaptable carriages designed to fit wheelchairs and bikes.
Southco partners with manufacturers to develop safe and secure accessibility solutions, using rotary latching systems. These components are crafted to last longer than cheaper alternatives, thereby supporting sustainability goals by minimising replacements and reducing long-term costs.
Southco’s comprehensive product range, backed by decades of experience, offers extensive support for efficient, secure, and sustainable rail design. Their commitment to recycled materials and efficient use of resources contributes to a greener future for rail systems.
Rail modernisation has delivered unprecedented benefits, yet these advances have simultaneously introduced safety and security challenges. Designers and manufacturers now face the critical task of addressing these emerging risks while maintaining the performance gains modern rail systems provide”, writes David Kelly, Applications Engineer at Southco.
The difference between ordinary and exceptional rail equipment often lies in the smallest details – the components passengers rarely see, but that determine whether systems function reliably day after day.
Access hardware like hinges, latches and fasteners may seem unremarkable, yet they play a decisive role in operational safety, passenger comfort and system reliability. Here Southco explores how well-designed access hardware addresses the unintended consequences of rail modernisation.
Safety at speed
High-speed rail enables passengers to get to their destination quicker, but when travelling at speeds of over 300km/h, an accident can have far more serious implications. This means it is more important than ever to ensure all external panels are safely secured to avoid any risk of them breaking loose during high-speed travel.
The solution is using latches that make safety visible by providing clear and easy-to-see mechanical visual indicators when they are not secure. These reduce the chance of leaving a panel open, error-proofing maintenance operations and improving application safety while lowering costs.
Southco’s E3 VISE ACTION
Southco’s E3 VISE ACTION compression latches are commonly used on train exterior and interior applications across covers, access panels, and lights from skirts and underfloor containers through to rooftop units. Within their range of MAKE SAFETY VISIBLE BY SOUTHCO products, the access hardware manufacturer offers different types of compression latches.
One features reflective wings which deploy when the latch is opened and only retract when fully secured; another features a bi-stable cover that will automatically stay open as long as the panel in question remains unlatched. This enables maintenance staff to quickly and easily check whether any panels have been left unsecured, both during the day and at night.
To simplify visual security, red – the universal colour for danger – is used as the standard indicator. However, this can be tailored to meet specific customer needs. For example, yellow or orange may be chosen if they provide better visibility on certain camera systems.
Passenger comfort
Passengers know comfort when they experience it, or even more so, when they don’t experience it. When they are paying for a train ticket – especially on those long journeys – buyers expect a certain level of quality, whether they are travelling for work or pleasure.
While Southco is seeing better-designed seating, the use of low-cost components increases the risk of passenger injury. This is often down to tables and armrests that don’t hold in position or coat hooks that stick out.
These issues are easy to resolve, however. Take Southco’s AH-Bifold Constant Torque Hinge series. These use friction technology to enable a table is held in position at any angle and prevent it from falling open. They also feature a flush mount design that occupies minimal space, allowing a table to be folded and stowed flat and out of the passenger’s way.
Thin-profile product housing
Safety and security also don’t have to detract from looks. Southco’s all-metal ST series hinges are compact and can be bolted or molded directly into a thin-profile product housing for a more pleasing aesthetic design, while also delivering rugged, long-lasting, high-torque performance that eliminates the need for secondary mechanical supports.
Finally, hooks. Southco’s push-to-close MP Point Latch features a retractable metal pull knob that pops up at the push of a button to provide a consistent grip and a solid feeling of quality in the latch’s operation.
It’s really about that tactile experience. If something feels flimsy or cheap, that’s the impression passengers will get. Not only do these touch points impact safety, they also shape a passenger’s perception of the train’s quality, so they are important to keep in mind.
Balancing efficiency and security
While the rise of the internet of things (IoT) and autonomous trains have made rail travel more efficient, these systems also provide more opportunities for cybercriminals and vandals to steal personal data or impact operations. Additionally, the rise in on-board electrical systems can pose a larger fire risk.
Any enclosure that holds an electrical system must be safe and secured, and Southco offers a wide range of solutions dependent on the system’s need. Hidden latches can add an extra layer of security. For example, Southco’s rotary latch system provides a robust method for securing panels with push-to-close convenience, offering concealed latching at one or more points of the application.
Many of Southco’s latches also comply with the latest DIN EN45545-3 fire protection standard, with a large number of cam, compression and rotary latches meeting fire resistance ratings from E30 up to E60, indicating how many minutes a latch would still be in place and secure after the outbreak of a fire.
Enhanced security
For further enhanced security, Southco’s Connected Access solutions combine mechanical locks and latches with electronic actuation. This is becoming ever more important as ‘standard’ keys can be easily purchased online or in hardware stores, eliminating any level of security by common mechanical locks.
Southco’s electromechanical solutions offer added protection by providing remote controlled and monitored access via RFID cards, PIN codes or Bluetooth® technology, and they can also work with operators to design keys with a head style unique to them, which can massively limit who has access to these panels.
Sustainability
The electrification of rail has added to its sustainability credentials, and modernisation of train interiors has further improved the inclusivity of this means of transport, with more spaces designed for wheelchairs and bikes.
Designers have been tasked with making the best use of carriage floorspace, which has, in some cases, led to the creation of adaptable carriages that can be reconfigured to suit passenger needs.
These require latching mechanisms to support the process of folding or moving seats, tables, and other elements to create a space for luggage, wheelchairs, and bikes. Southco has worked with rail seat manufacturers to develop unique accessibility solutions that are safe and secure, based around their rotary latching system and hinge offering.
Rotary latching system
This rotary latching system uses a simple square key as an actuator that triggers cables to release latches, allowing staff to move seating fixtures in a rail carriage. To reverse this process spring-loaded locking pins automatically engage in both positions for reliable hold, while friction hinges prevent the headrest and seat surface from dropping unexpectedly.
Such small components can often be overlooked in terms of sustainability but can have a big impact. For example, premium products will far outlast cheaper ones, which will not be as durable and may need to be replaced two or three times during the life of the vehicle. Users might be able to save up to 20% on upfront costs, but the cost of ownership could skyrocket due to lower reputation and maintenance downtime.
It’s also worth noting that Southco supports sustainability in-house. This includes using recycled plastics wherever possible, and reusing leftover injection molding plastic with their regrind process.
Simplify, secure, sustain
With decades of experience and an extensive range of standardised products, Southco’s already done the heavy lifting – the design work, testing and problem-solving – so users don’t have to. From fast access panels to secure maintenance points, Southco’s access hardware saves users time, reduces costs and supports smarter, more sustainable train design.
