Milan, 18 December 2022
Check the plans for emergency management in the railway area and their correspondence with health and external emergency procedures, along with the coordination and response times of all operational structures involved.
This was the objective of the Civil Defence exercise held last night in the Laveno-Mombello railway tunnel, envisaged by the FS Group’s annual plan and organised by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (FS Italiane Group), as coordinated by the Prefecture of Varese and with the participation of the Civil Defence of the Lombardy Region and the Province of Varese, the Municipality of Laveno-Monbello, the Fire Brigade, Police (Police Headquarters, Polfer – Railway Police and Carabinieri), Finance Police, AREU, Civil Protection Volunteer Associations, the Italian Red Cross and Trenord.
The scenario of the exercise
Simulated was the derailment of a passenger train travelling along the Luino-Laveno-Gallarate line, coming to a stop 100 metres before the southern entrance to the tunnel due to the derailment of several carriages. The exercise took place during the night between 17 and 18 December (from midnight to 4:00 am) along the Luino-Laveno-Gallarate section.
The communication protocols anticipated for emergency management were promptly activated, with the participation of all involved, namely Civil Defence for the Lombardy Region, the Fire Brigade, Police (Police Headquarters, Polfer – Railway Police, Carabinieri) AREU, Trenord and RFI.
Upon reaching the scene, the first responders helped those in the role of passengers to exit from the tunnel and provided the necessary assistance. At the same time, technicians secured the train and infrastructure to facilitate a swift restoration of traffic.
There was no impact on railway circulation.