AS 7529.3 Fire Safety – Passenger

The closing date for comments – Tuesday 18 August 2026

The latest review of the AS 7529.3 Fire Safety – Passenger draft is now open for Public Consultation.

How this product helps the rail industry

AS 7529.3 provides the rail industry with a contemporary and nationally consistent framework for managing fire safety risks in passenger rolling stock, particularly as operators adopt new zero-emission (ZE) technologies.

Lithium–ion batteries, use of hydrogen and ammonia are among ZE technologies being rolled out in new rolling stock and retrofitted to existing rolling stock. These have implications for fire safety for the operation and maintenance of railway vehicles. The revised Standard sets out requirements which can help industry minimise fire risks to passengers, train crew and other users of rail infrastructure. 

About

This Standard has been updated following a comprehensive review to ensure it remains current and responsive to emerging and ZE technologies in the rail industry. The standard applies to the design and construction of new passenger rolling stock, as well as the maintenance, modification and refurbishment of existing passenger vehicles.

This reviewed Standard includes:

• fire safety approaches specific to ZE technologies, including prevention, detection and suppression measures including discussion on methods to prevent and monitor hydrogen leaks and electrolyte or gas leaks from batteries
• consideration for ZE used for traction on the rolling stock as well as auxiliaries
• a specification of requirements for Pressure Relief Valves (PRVs) and Temperature- Pressure Relief Devices (TPRDs) in hydrogen fuel systems is included
• alignment with recent updates to other fire safety standards.

How to contribute

AS 7529.3 Fire Safety – Passenger is available for public consultation for 60 days. All interested parties are encouraged to provide comments during this time.

It is available to download here.

To make comments on the draft, please use the commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to comment in-line with the text. If needed you can find instructions here.

Please return your PDF with comments to pdraper@ariso.org.au by Tuesday 18 August 2026.

As the rail industry’s only accredited Standards Development Organisation (SDO), ARISO collaborates with government, rail operators and industry leaders to improve the efficiency and harmonisation of the Australia’s rail network, ensuring national interoperability, safety and sustainability into the future.