Massive Emergency Drill Unfolds at Kidderminster Railway in Major Safety Exercise

Emergency services and railway staff staged a large-scale training exercise near Kidderminster earlier this month to ensure they remain prepared for a major incident on the rail network.

The simulated emergency took place on Thursday 12 March near the Severn Valley Railway’s Kidderminster station. People living nearby and passengers in the area would have seen a significant response, with police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews attending the scene as part of the planned scenario.

The exercise recreated a serious rail incident involving a collision between a hydrogen-powered train supplied by Vanguard STS and a diesel train. Around 200 volunteers took part, acting as passengers and members of the public to help emergency teams practise their response.

A wide range of organisations were involved in the operation, including Network Rail, West Mercia Police, British Transport Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, West Midlands Railway and the Severn Valley Railway.

The heritage railway was chosen as the location so the exercise could take place in a realistic rail environment without disrupting services on the mainline network.

Martin Colmey, operations director for Network Rail Central, said:

"Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and these training exercises are vital to ensuring we can act quickly and effectively in a real-life emergency. Yesterday's event was a success and helped us to hone our emergency planning as well as allowing us and partners to test our joint response and be prepared if needed. I would like to thank all partners involved for their support with this incident and their work in making the day a success. Special thanks go to the Severn Valley Railway. Holding the event at a heritage railway meant we could carry out an important exercise in a live railway environment on a day they're closed, and therefore not have to impact mainline trains and passengers."

Gus Dunster, managing director of the Severn Valley Railway, said:

“The SVR has been pleased to support Network Rail in providing a location for this large-scale emergency response exercise. We facilitated an authentic railway environment with two sets of locomotives and carriages in the vicinity of Kidderminster Town station so that the exercise could take place without impacting on the operational main line. Exercise Saber was timed to take place when the SVR was not operating public services. Our staff have worked closely with Network Rail and the many other agencies involved, and it has been a privilege to play a part in such an important exercise. For more than two years, we’ve had a partnership agreement with NR, and this is another excellent example of that close collaboration.”

James Williams, head of emergency preparedness for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said:

“It was great to take part in this exercise alongside partner agencies. As a service, it’s vital that we’re prepared to deal with every large-scale emergency scenario we’re faced with. The day was a success with nearly 100 staff members from WMAS participating. A big thank you to everyone at WMAS and other agencies that took part and made the day possible.”

Simon Newell, safety, security and sustainability director at West Midlands Railway, said:

“Working as a team with Network Rail and other partners is key to a successful emergency response. Training scenarios like this allows us to test and hone our responses, so we are always prepared for real-life emergency situations. We are grateful to the Severn Valley Railway for hosting the exercise on site, ensuring day to day railway operations were unaffected.”

Image: British Transport Police