Around 800 people have taken part in a Swiss-French exercise simulating a train accident in a tunnel in Vallorbe, canton Vaud. The 12-hour scenario tested emergency crews’ reaction to a mock derailment.

In the exercise, a fire aboard a TGV train heading to France leads to 19 deaths and 109 injuries. The aim was also to test coordination between services in the neighbouring countries.

The session showed up difficulties in gaining an overview of the whole situation – something that had been noted during a train collision earlier this year in Granges-près-Marnand, in western Switzerland, where one person died. Vaud cantonal police said improvements would be brought to a debriefing.

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