Thiruvananthapuram railway division to get SPART soon

Kochi: Thiruvananthapuram railway division will get a Rs 6 crore self-propelled Accident Relief Train (SPART) for deployment during an emergency situation, giving a major boost to rescue and relief operations in the event of a mishap.
 Manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, the three-coach formation will have advanced medical facilities that include an air-conditioned operation theatre room.

“Unlike the conventional Accident Relief Train which needs a separate locomotive to pull the formation, the latest one is a self-propelled train with power cars at both ends. The formation could be operated both ways with only loco pilots having to move to either of the ends. We plan to commission SPART possibly on May 10,” said a senior railway official.

The rake has a fully equipped medical van flanked by a supervisor van and a tool van with power pack. The medical van consists of a doctor’s room, 12-bed ward, autoclave cubicle, operation theatre and a 12-bed post operative ward. It also has a kitchen to cook basic foods for distribution during relief operations.

“The formation will be stationed at Ernakulam so that it can be moved to the accident sites across the division without much delay. It can move at a speed of upto 120 kmph,” the official said. The train is equipped with a generator to provide uninterrupted power to the formation while dealing with emergency situations. The power cars have space to carry key tools including a cold cutting device used while evacuating passengers from a train which has met with an accident.