In this XVR scenario, we simulate a severe collision between a freight train and a passenger train just outside the station. The impact derails the passenger train, causing two carriages to fall off a bridge. The remaining carriages still contain many passengers who need to be evacuated.

The freight train is also derailed. Several wagons come loose, including a tank car containing the chemical Methylthioninium chloride (Methylene Blue). It hangs dangerously over the edge of the bridge and leaks, spreading the substance across the railway bed.

The five disciplines of the emergency response chain work closely together to manage this complex incident. NMBS and Infrabel support coordination and evacuation. The Incident Command System is central, from initial field briefings to multidisciplinary decision-making in the Operations Command Post.

Finally, we highlight DOVO, the specialized Defense unit that responds to incidents involving explosives or ammunition.

Continuously

This demo is part of the crisis management demo, an initiative of the Firefighters’ Association of Flanders in collaboration with the emergency planning department of the Governor of West Flanders.