Major Incident Exercise at Isle of Wight Steam Railway

On Wednesday, 24th January 2007 an Incident co-ordination meeting was held at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway's Havenstreet Station with the aim of creating a better understanding of the various railway departments and emergency services roles in dealing with a major incident involving the railway. The meeting was convened by Pat Shannon, the Steam Railway's Health and Safety Officer and included representatives from the Railway Accident Investigation Branch, Police, Fire & Rescue, Ambulance Service, Paramedics, Doctors, St. Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight Council, Coastguard Service and Island line.
Photo: J Layfield
The Incident Exercise underway.

The scenario for the hypothetical accident was that a car had left the road and crashed down into a cutting on the railway adjacent to a short tunnel. A steam train heavily laden with passengers had then crashed into the car, causing its derailment just outside the tunnel and leaving two of the four coaches still inside it. Discussions between various groups resulted in a greater mutual understanding of just how the various agencies should work together in the event of a major incident of this kind.


Isle of Wight Steam Railway General Manager Peter Vail commented "The exercise was a huge success in helping ourselves and the other agencies plan and understand how we can work together in the event of a major incident. The day was also an opportunity for the Isle of Wight Steam Railway to demonstrate the professional approach we have to the safety of our operation."
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Page last modified 14/02/07.
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