Fire and Rescue 'Train'

[Dan17H]

As someone who has worked for the 999s since I was 18 I'd have effing loved to have been involved in the training and implementation of this

Network Rail hands over new emergency road-rail vehicle to Maindee Fire Station

Emergency services will now be able to reach emergencies in the Severn Tunnel faster thank to a new road-to-rail vehicle courtesy of Network Rail.

www.railadvent.co.uk

Emergency services will now be able to reach emergencies in the Severn Tunnel faster thank to a new road-to-rail vehicle courtesy of Network Rail.

Network Rail has developed and funded the vehicle before handing it over to the emergency services on the 12th November, and it will be stored at Maindee Fire Station in Newport.

Network Rail has worked on the design with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, GOS Tool & Engineering, Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Welsh Ambulance Service Trust and South Western Ambulance Service.

God knows what hurdles has to be jumped to get this one put through.

 

[mawallace]

I am a bit perplexed with this quote:-

“The Severn Tunnel is around four-and-a-half miles long, so when an emergency incident happens, quick access for emergency services is vital.

How many emergency incidents happen? Should it not be if an emergency - or is happening so often it's a certainty!

 

[221129]

As someone who has worked for the 999s since I was 18 I'd have effing loved to have been involved in the training and implementation of this

Network Rail hands over new emergency road-rail vehicle to Maindee Fire Station

Emergency services will now be able to reach emergencies in the Severn Tunnel faster thank to a new road-to-rail vehicle courtesy of Network Rail.

www.railadvent.co.uk

God knows what hurdles has to be jumped to get this one put through.

There is something similar at Avonmouth as well. Has been at both stations for many many years.

Avon FRS / Network Rail | Renault V.I. G G300 | Severn Tunnel Rescue Unit | N842 HFB

Explore Ollie Barnett's Transport Photography's 15507 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[swt_passenger]

There is something similar at Avonmouth as well. Has been at both stations for many many years.

The article explains that there’ll be a second new vehicle provided for Avon Fire and Rescue, presumably to replace/update the one in your linked photo?

 

[221129]

The article explains that there’ll be a second new vehicle provided for Avon Fire and Rescue, presumably to replace/update the one in your linked photo?

I suspect so. Although it was only refurbished about 8 years ago at great expense so could be an additional?

 

[Taunton]

There has always been a Severn Tunnel rescue train, back to steam loco days when it was kept at Severn Tunnel Junction shed, on its own siding, from where it could be dispatched with a loco in about 5 minutes, manned by whichever of the shed mechanical fitters etc were on shift. Same approach as with other breakdown trains kept at major sheds on the GWR.

In time the emphasis fell away, and by the time of the Severn Tunnel accident in 1991 it was kept on an odd siding at Sudbrook, and took hours to get mobilised, which was severely criticised in the accident report. Adrian Vaughan, in the chapter in his accidents book on the Severn Tunnel one, gives a good and scathing view of the shambles of organisation.

Thereafter responsibility was passed to the fire services on each side, and specialist kit was provided. This gets refurbished periodically, presumably it has done so again.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

There has always been a Severn Tunnel rescue train, back to steam loco days when it was kept at Severn Tunnel Junction shed, on its own siding, from where it could be dispatched with a loco in about 5 minutes, manned by whichever of the shed mechanical fitters etc were on shift. Same approach as with other breakdown trains kept at major sheds on the GWR.

In time the emphasis fell away, and by the time of the Severn Tunnel accident in 1991 it was kept on an odd siding at Sudbrook, and took hours to get mobilised, which was severely criticised in the accident report. Adrian Vaughan, in the chapter in his accidents book on the Severn Tunnel one, gives a good and scathing view of the shambles of organisation.

Thereafter responsibility was passed to the fire services on each side, and specialist kit was provided. This gets refurbished periodically, presumably it has done so again.

British Rail, Railtrack and Network Rail provided all manner of highly improbable plant until the advent of the road rail vehicles placed with the local fire services - there was a Class 09 shunter from EWS and an assortment of stock, including a tank wagon for fire fighting, then there was the old bubble cars which were in Network Rail livery, all of which was woefully unreliable and almost certain to cause a bigger incident than whatever it was they were slowly crawling into the tunnel to deal with.

They kept some stock in a strange little siding at Severn Tunnel Junction, from memory.

 

[Fat Gaz]

As someone who has worked for the 999s since I was 18 I'd have effing loved to have been involved in the training and implementation of this

Network Rail hands over new emergency road-rail vehicle to Maindee Fire Station

Emergency services will now be able to reach emergencies in the Severn Tunnel faster thank to a new road-to-rail vehicle courtesy of Network Rail.

www.railadvent.co.uk

God knows what hurdles has to be jumped to get this one put through.

Your wish is closer than you think. There is a rail tunnel in the county in which you live that could do with something like this. Which 999 employs you? It might be a simple email that fulfils that dream!

 

[Dan17H]

Your wish is closer than you think. There is a rail tunnel in the county in which you live that could do with something like this. Which 999 employs you? It might be a simple email that fulfils that dream!

I'm no longer a firefighter now days, left after 10 years (Full time and Retained). We had Swanley Tunnel on our patch which is just over a mile long, the only incident I recall there was a person hit by a train, and to be fair it wasn't a long walk assisting BTP.

I now 'work' for HM Coastguard, we did have a large missing person search that took part around the Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness line, I was specifically liasing with the MOM on scene as to possible access by Rescue Teams should the person be found near or on the line.

 

[edwin_m]

How many emergency incidents happen? Should it not be if an emergency - or is happening so often it's a certainty!

There will no doubt be training exercises, so simulated "emergencies" at least are a certainty.