The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is announcing that a rail safety training drill will occur on Saturday, July 22, 2023, between 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in Meriden. The emergency response exercise is a critical component of ongoing safety training and practice to ensure the highest level of safety along the Hartford Line.
The drill will look and sound like a real train crash, including using smoke machines to simulate a fire. Volunteers will assume the roles of injured people involved in the incident. The simulation will consist of calls to on-duty emergency first responders dispatched to the scene and working to rescue crash victims. The training will occur in a rail yard underneath Interstate 691 along State Street Extension, north of the Meriden Rail Station.
The Federal Railroad Administration requires the drill, which is a component of ongoing safety training at CTDOT. It is designed to reinforce and fine-tune emergency response protocols of train crews, dispatchers, first responders, and others, as well as the coordination and real-life application of communication and chain-of-command incident management protocols.
“This training exercise is an important component of ensuring the safety, preparedness, and responsiveness of first responders, personnel, and staff if there were ever a real-life rail incident. While we don’t want these events ever to occur, we must be prepared in case of an emergency,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Public Transportation Bureau Chief Benjamin Limmer. “Loud noises, smoke, and emergency responders will make this training drill seem authentic. Please be assured this is a simulation, and there is no emergency activity in the rail yard.”
The drill supplements the extensive and ongoing training for all involved groups. After the simulation concludes, participants will meet to share their observations and discuss insights learned from the exercise.
CTDOT asks the media and members of the public to refrain from attempting to be onsite for the training exercise. First responders, volunteers, railroad personnel, and participants must fully focus on the training exercise.
Members of the media can request photos and videos following the simulation by emailing CTDOTMedia@ct.gov.