I’ve written about the fire-fighting trains of the Russia before, but they’re not the only railway to operate such trains – the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) also have a number of firefighting and rescue trains for use in their long underground tunnels.
Photo via Interkantonales Feuerwehr-Ausbildungszentrum
Early trials
The first fire-fighting and rescue train in Switzerland entered service in 1964 as class LRZ/TES 64, and was based at Göschenen for use on the railway through the Gotthard Tunnel. The train consisted of two carriages – a tank wagon with pump and foam system, and rescue carriage – hauled by a diesel locomotive.
.jpg)
LRZ/TES 76
This train was considered a success, and in 1970 the SBB-CFF-FFS developed the concept further, with ten trains of class LRZ/TES 76 entering service in 1976. Costing 2.5 million francs, they included a four-axle fire extinguishing wagon, an equipment wagon, and a rescue carriage.
Each train carried 44,000 litres of water, 1,000 litres of foam extract and 1,000 kg of extinguishing powder. A 200 hp diesel engine drove a motor pump and a compressor could supply 1,000 litres of air per minute. The class LRZ/TES 76 was withdrawn from operation in 2009.
LRZ/TES 96
The LRZ/TES 96 rescue trains were introduced 1996, and were also locomotive hauled.
.jpg)
However an improvement on the previous design.
- 16-metre long, 36 tonne fire-fighting vehicle,
- 14.52 metre long, 24 tonnes equipment vehicle with generator,
- 19.9 meter long, weighs 37.8 tonnes gas-tight rescue vehicle, with spaces for 50 people and air reserve of 491,000 liters.
They remained in service until 2018.
LRZ/TES 04, 08 and 18
In 2004 the first self-propelled firefighting, rescue and recovery trains were introduced to Switzerland, based on the CargoSprinter platform developed by Windhoff GmbH of Germany.
Features of the train include:
The Lösch- und Rettungszug Neue Technologie (LRZ) consists of three vehicles: an equipment vehicle (with power unit, air compressor, firefighting equipment), a tank wagon (with a 50 cubic metre water tank and 1,800 litres of foam extract), and a rescue vehicle (with space for up to 60 injured and uninjured passengers from tunnels, with separate supply of breathing air and equipment for 23 firefighters).
Both the equipment and rescue vehicles have their own diesel engines. Thus in the case of a tunnel fire the train can be separated, with one part remaining at the scene to deal with the incident, and another part shuttling back and forth between the accident site and the outdoors to evacuate the passengers.
The firefighting and rescue train is used not just for tunnels, but also as an intervention vehicle. The railway emergency services also accomplish tasks that can be reached from the tracks. These include clearing accidents, extinguishing fires and towing broken-down trains.
The first train was delivered to SBB-CFF-FFS in 2003, with the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway also purchasing their own train. Eight more units entered service in 2008, followed by two in 2014 for the Gotthard Base Tunnel; and six in 2018 for the CEVA line, Ceneri Base Tunnel, and the Lötschberg and Simplon Tunnels.
.jpg)
Sources
- Special vehicles for fire service operations in railway tunnels
- Train d’extinction et de sauvetage at French-language Wikipedia
- Lösch- und Rettungszug at German-language Wikipedia
- A history of Lösch- und Rettungszüge (German language)
I remember you writing about the Russian fire fighting trains and it was interesting. I can’t imagine forest fires would be a thing in Switzerland (maybe I am wrong about that), so I assume in Switzerland it is mostly about the Gotthard Tunnel and similar infrastructure.
Pingback: Road-rail fire trucks of Switzerland - Euro Gunzel