Marlborough Police is joining with Hato Hone Saint John, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, KiwiRail, Civil Defence, Steam Incorporated and Pounamu Tourism Group for an exercise to test and practice emergency procedures in the event of an incident involving a passenger train.
This evening a simulated incident will be conducted at a railway siding near Blenheim, simulating a train derailment and involving volunteers playing the part of passengers on the train. Emergency services will respond to the incident at a planned time.
To ensure the least disruption to the general public the exercise is being held off the main trunk line, in a location with minimal public interaction. The exercise will be clearly visible as being an simulation rather than a real emergency, to reduce the potential for misunderstanding and alarm.
