Rail mishaps to be recreated at village near Bengaluru

New Delhi: Tragic events involving train accidents, coaches falling into rivers or catching fire will be reenacted at the country's first 'Railways disaster management village' which is expected to come up on the outskirts of Bengaluru by December next year.

A senior official of the railways ministry said "overaged rolling stock" will be used to replicate train accidents so that real time rescue operations could be carried out to improve such efforts.

"It will be just like the mock drills carried out by security personnel. It will be as real as it can get," he said.

The railways has earmarked the 3.32 sqkm village of Hejjala, with a population of 3,483 people, to develop its Disaster Management Institute and Safety village at a cost of Rs. 44.42 crore, according to the blueprint accessed by PTI.

"For augmenting theoretical class room training with practical hands on exercise, a real environment for training in various conditions and scenarios of train accidents, a concept of safety village was envisaged," it said.

The focus is on imparting state-of-the-art training on rescue, medical relief and rolling stock restoration techniques in a classroom and also using various simulated teaching aids. However, it is the practical reproduction of accidents on site and the ensuing rescue operations that are being touted as the big ticket venture.

"For the practical training as a part of the safety village tunnel, cutting, embankment, other conditions and obstructions like overhead structures and platforms are being created. For carrying out underwater rescue and relief operations, a water body is also being developed," it said.