On Wednesday June 12, a rail accident simulation exercise was organized on the RD11 level crossing, which connects Callac (22) to Duault. A pedestrian, aged 47, was hit by a TER train, on the Carhaix – Callac line. The emergency braking of the train injured the two passengers, one suffering neck pain and the other arm. The driver then raised the alarm by calling 112.
The start of a full-scale exercise which lasted a little over an hour. And which mobilized railway agents, 16 volunteer firefighters from the emergency centers of Callac, Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem, Rostrenen and Belle-Isle-en-Terre, as well as gendarmes and agents from the Department, responsible for traffic diversion. The catenary was locked to avoid the risk of electrification. Everything was done to avoid an accident during the emergency response.
One exercise every five years
“The aim is to practice implementing exceptional procedures and resources in the event of an accident,” explains Loïc Lanne, director of Transdev Rail Bretagne. This type of exercise in a real situation, he says, is organized every five years in the Côtes-d’Armor department, sometimes commissioned by the prefecture. And, adds Captain Cédric Larribe, deputy head of the West Territorial Group of firefighters, “this type of accident is rare, but the scenario is plausible. This is an opportunity to manage a situation that you are not used to. In our jargon, we say that it’s about putting the intervention on the right track.”
