Category: Railway Response

Network Rail operate a range of vehicles to respond to emergencies on the railways. They work closely with the transport police, local police, fire & rescue and ambulance services.

FN20 XEA Network Rail Iveco Daily

FN20 XEA
Network Rail
Iveco Daily
Emergency response unit. It has an office-based control desk and rear tail lift with load space for carrying various equipment. It also boasts an inflatable shelter, train evacuation ramps, overhead line emergency equipment, portable lighting, fatality screen, rail stretcher and bulk PPE. It is fitted with amber flashing lights but also fitted with blues and twos however these can only be used with specialist trained driver.

MV12 XON South West Trains Vauxhall Combo

MV12 XON
South West Trains
Vauxhall Combo
Incident Support Unit. This small incident vehicle is to attend railway related incidents and deliver operational staff to incident sites. It is seen here at Basingstoke Rail Operations Centre.

BN12 JDO DLR Ford Transit

BN12 JDO
DLR
Ford Transit
Emergency Response Team van, run on behalf of TfL by a private company Keolis Amey. This ERT has equipment to deal with DLR train breakdowns, trackside emergencies, one unders, collisions, fires, signal or computer malfunctions (as DLR is driverless automated). It carries tools and rescue equipment, first aid resuscitation equipment, and work alongside BTP and London fire brigade in the event of an incident. It has no light bar or any warning beacons at all and so may need a BTP escort when attending incidents to enable it to reach the location promptly. Note the interesting colour scheme of the rear chevrons. As opposed to the standard red/yellow, they have opted for turquoise and yellow, inkeeping with the DLR branding colours.

WX07 NWB This Mercedes truck is marked in British Transport Police livery…



WX07 NWB This Mercedes truck is marked in British Transport Police livery. It is actually a re-liveried railway response vehicle. This truck carries equipment to Underground stations to fix urgent track problems. The report into the 7/7 Bombings suggested these vehicles were given blue lights to aid their passage in emergencies. This would have required a change in legislation, so this vehicle has been re-designated as a police vehicle and is driven by a police officer.



The same Mercedes Benz Atego truck is its previous livery, prior to February 2012. It is operated by Tubelines to provide an emergency response to incidents on the London Underground and is based at Camden.

WX57 DSU This is one of the Emergency Response Units …



WX57 DSU This is one of the Emergency Response Units for use on the London Underground. It is a Mercedes Atego with John Dennis Coachbuilders bodywork. It is used to restore services after breakdowns and carries a range of equipment to do so. In the lockers are water pumps, jaws of life, airbags, chainsaws, generators, lighting and refreshments for the workers. It weighs 11 tonnes and cost £140,000. The 10 units are based at Acton, Camden, Vauxhall and Tottenham Hale.

Update: Since late 2009 various changes have been made to the location of these 10 vehicles. They are now at Camden (2), Acton (4), Battersea (2) and 2 training vehicles. Tottenham Hale base closed on 2nd September 2009 and Vauxhall also closed and was replaced by a new location at Battersea.



BV55 UEE is the only rail incident command unit …



BV55 UEE is the only rail incident command unit run by Network Rail. The Vauxhall truck is based next to Doncaster station it is available 24 hours a day to attend major incidents on the railways.



The rear view of the RICU which is fitted with satellite communications equipment on the roof. This vehicle is supported by 5 Rail Incident Control Point vehicles and these are further supported by 5 Rail Incident Support Unit vehicles (all Mercedes Sprinters).

W209 YHJ This NR Ford Transit is a Rail Incident Command …



W209 YHJ This NR Ford Transit is a Rail Incident Command Vehicle. In this photograph it has been deployed to coordinate a rescue and has its communications antenna raised. Other NR and police vehicles can be seen in the background.



The rear view of the same Transit, showing the external generator. In the background you can see the exercise that the vehicle is helping to coordinate at a level crossing.

RE52 BCV This NR Toyota Hi-Lux diesel is decked …



RE52 BCV This NR Toyota Hi-Lux diesel is decked out in yellow and blue battenburg markings, very similar to a police vehicle. The only difference is that this car’s livery is not reflective. The NR logo and car’s use are shown to the rear.



The rear view of the same car. There are two doors on the back, one opening upwards and the other downwards, to gain access to the equipment carried.

RA54 HLH This Toyota Hi-Lux 250 4×4 is two years newer …



RA54 HLH This Toyota Hi-Lux 250 4×4 is two years newer than the one above and has a totally different livery. It has a side stripe of red and blue checkers, a larger logo and fewer markings on the rear. It also has an amber flashing light bar. Also you can see a ‘Crimestoppers’ advert on the side.

KT04 PXN This is a Clapham Junction (London) based …



KT04 PXN This is a Clapham Junction (London) based Network Rail Ford Transit Connect. It is call-sign RR39 and operates as a rapid response unit.



The rear and offside view. This type of vehicle has replaced some Toyota Hi-Lux’s (shown below) in urban areas where the 4×4 capabilities are not required.

KM51 VNE This Vauxhall Astra estate is a Rail Incident …



KM51 VNE This Vauxhall Astra estate is a Rail Incident Response Unit with Network Rail. It has call sign ‘RR1’. It has more livery than the other 51-plate Astra above.



The rear shot of the same car, showing its blue and red battenburg markings, roof-mounted floodlight and amber flashing lights.