Mock level crossing crash staged in Fratton (BBC News 14/10/2012)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Emergency services in Hampshire have taken part in a simulated crash on a level crossing to train officers and staff to deal with such situations.

British Transport Police, fire and rescue staff and ambulance crews took part in the exercise at Fratton Traincare Depot.

They set up a situation where two vehicles and a motorcyclist collided on the crossing as a train approached.

More than 50 actors and special effects teams were involved.
'Making it realistic'

The tracks included a third electrified rail, proving a difficult challenge for crews.

Nick Davies, Hampshire Fire and Rescue group manager who was running the exercise, said ahead of the event: "It's a much bigger exercise than we normally do, and the biggest one we'll do this year.

"We don't often get the chance to play with a train for a day and to put all our procedures and operational practices into place.

"This is a very major rail accident involving a number of passengers, who require recovery from the train, extrication and removal to a place of safety.

"By making it this realistic, it allows the ambulance service to triage and provide us with a priority list of who we can move and how to extricate them from the situation.

"We do attend rail accidents. I, myself have attended a couple of rail accidents, but nothing on this scale with this number of passengers."

A series of images from this mock incident can also be seen on flickr. Featuring an observer who may be known to some on this forum...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southdown/sets/72157631769074742/with/8087231448/

[Brucey]

The News have given a more detailed account.  Good to see that students from South Downs College were involved in the acting and make-up.
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/preparing-for-the-worst-1-4367428

This bit was of particular interest to me, showing that even the emergency services are not always aware of the juice rail's dangers

And to reinforce his message, the first two firefighters on to the train were quickly declared ^dead^ after dragging their hose over what would have been a live third rail.