A shock to the system

The continued threat of terrorism to the rail network requires governments to invest in the identification of would-be attackers and prevention of crimes. This article reports on a research study designed to model the effects of an improvised explosive device (IED) and predict the outcomes for both the structure of a rail vehicle and the passengers inside in the event of an attack. A large scale finite element model was developed to predict the blast pressures inside a rail vehicle and the resulting structural deformation. Among the results were the finding that the vehicle body shell structure did not play a role in determining the injury pattern for passengers. Also, doors and windows were found to have minimal impact on pressure injuries throughout the vehicle.