<p>High temperature can lead to windows breakage, significantly altering ventilation condition within the compartment and critically influencing fire development. In this study, several subway carriage fire scenarios were conducted to examine window breakage time and temperature profiles under different heat release rates (HRR) and fire locations with multiple lateral openings through numerical modeling. Results show that higher HRR leads to more and earlier windows breakage, while different fire locations significantly affect the sequence and quantity of window breakage. For fires with low HRR in the center of the carriage, temperature distribution beneath the ceiling shows a transformation from “parallelogram” to “X-shaped” pattern due to windows breakage. For fires with high HRR or deviate the carriage center, temperature distribution sustains an “X-shaped” pattern throughout the process. The influence of window breakage on the temperature of lateral openings near the fire source is clear, but on the maximum temperature rise and longitudinal temperature decay are not sensitive. Considering fire locations, a prediction model for maximum ceiling temperature rise within subway carriage is established, with a proportionality coefficient ranging between 17.2 and 19.9, and validation contrast to existing studies confirms the formula’s accuracy. Further, Experimental data were compared with established models for dimensionless maximum temperature rise in strong plume zones, indicating that this study’s predicted temperature rise in strong plume zones substantially exceeds earlier predictions. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the thermal hazards of subway carriage fires impacted by window breakage.</p>