Action
Notice of Safety Advisory.
Summary
FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2026-02 to alert the passenger rail industry to the severe safety risks associated with advanced chemistry batteries, such as lithium-ion battery (LiB) power sources, carried aboard passenger railcars within electric micromobility vehicles (EMVs). Recent full-scale testing shows that thermal runaway in these battery systems poses rapid and potentially catastrophic thermal, toxicological, and visibility hazards inside passenger railcars. This Safety Advisory recommends specific operational, training, and emergency planning and response mitigations to protect passengers and crew members.