Battipaglia-Reggio Calabria line: exercise in the San Donato tunnel

from Railway Briefs of 01 July 2024

FS Group Press Release

A civil protection exercise was held during the night between 29 and 30 June, under the coordination of the Prefecture of Salerno, aimed at simulating a railway emergency in the San Cataldo Tunnel in the section between Battipaglia and Sapri of the Battipaglia-Reggio Calabria line, at the southern entrance in the municipality of Torre Orsaia, with the aim of verifying and consolidating the emergency procedures and communication flows between the various bodies in the event of an accident in a railway tunnel.

The structures of the Italian Railway Network, Trenitalia and FS Security (FS Italiane Group), the Provincial Command of the Salerno Fire Brigade, the police force, 118, the Italian Red Cross and the Civil Protection of the Campania Region and the Municipality of Torre Orsaia.

1. FS Group Photo

This is the scenario of the exercise that took place in real life in the area concerned: the on-board staff noticed a fire starting in the braking system of a regional train, forcing the convoy to stop about 100 meters from the entrance to the tunnel. The train conductor noted the need for assistance to the travelers who were having difficulty breathing and walking, and all the procedures provided for by the safety protocol were activated, simultaneously interrupting circulation.

The simulation of a request for intervention is received at the Fire Brigade Operations Room in accordance with the provisions of the PGE (General Emergency Plan); the Operations Room, after having collected information also regarding the people involved, arranges for the dispatch of personnel and means. The Health Services (118, Italian Red Cross) intervene with specialized operational structures to assist some injured people.

The Civil Protection of the Region, the Fire Brigade Command, 118, the Italian Red Cross, the Municipality of Torre Orsaia as well as the Police Forces (Carabinieri, Railway Police) and the local Municipal Police provide their valuable contribution to the optimal management of the emergency.

2. FS Group Photo

The exercise allowed testing the General Emergency Plan and its procedures to increase safety standards. Furthermore, the response capacity of the rescue system in emergency situations was verified, through the verification of the intervention times, the activation methods of the Bodies involved and the suitability of the means of communication. In particular, the accessibility to the tunnel with rescue vehicles was verified to allow assisted escape and the transfer of the injured to the Triage area.

The Prefecture of Salerno, through the CCS, carefully followed all phases of the exercise, coordinating the operations in order to guarantee the success of the activities which had no repercussions on the movement of trains.