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Emergency Services & Partners - Transport
Tyne & Wear Metro System
The Metro Rapid Transit System, operated by NEXUS (formerly the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive) on behalf of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority, passes through the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and the Cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland. |
Metro Major Incident Plan
A Contingency Plan has been compiled by Nexus, in co-operation and consultation with Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, North East Ambulance Service, the Health and Safety Executive, Tyne and Wear Emergency Planning Unit, and Network Rail – (who operate along adjacent tracks at some locations, are fully responsible for rail infrastructure on the route to Sunderland termini of the Metro).
The Plan has been written in response to the requirements laid on the Passenger Transport Authority by the provisions of the Fennell Report, although there is of course no suggestion implicit in this of any increased risk of an accident on the Metro system. The Plan is however an additional level of preparation should such an event occur.
The aim of the METRO Plan is to enable speedy mobilisation of any resources required to deal with an incident, to provide communications and command at the incident, and co-ordinate the activities of the Emergency Services deployed.
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National Railway Network
Network Rail London and North East Region
Network Rail is an engineering company formed to maintain, improve and upgrade the railway infrastructure, including:
- The track
- Signaling systems
- Bridges
- Viaducts
- Tunnels
- Level crossings
- Stations
Network Rail, in conjunction with the British Transport Police, would co-ordinate the response to an incident on the railway system involving any of the designated train-operating companies.
Network Rail provide the 24 hour contact point for the emergency services and the EPU for any major incident within Tyne and Wear involving those train operating companies. The Metro system is the responsibility of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, trading as NEXUS, but work closely, and defer to, Network Rail in connection with the Sunderland section of the Metro.
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The Tyne Tunnel
- The Tyne Tunnel is the main road link between North and South Tyneside beneath the River Tyne from Howdon (Wallsend) on the north side of the river to Jarrow on the south. It is part of the A19 Trunk Road and is a single tunnel with two way traffic.
- There is also a separate Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel connection between Howdon and Jarrow.
- The complex is controlled from the Administrative Block sited on the north side of the river with a Control Room which has television monitoring of the whole of the tunnel and the toll booths.
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Action by British Transport Police (BTP)
British Transport Police (BTP) are responsible for policing the National Railways Network. In a Major Incident they would be responsible for command and control of the actual site within Network Rail boundaries and the evacuation of the travelling public and railway personnel.
Northumbria Police are responsible for policing those areas affected by the Major Incident that are outside Network Rail jurisdiction.
British Transport Police, Northumbria Police and the other Emergency Services liaise closely on safety matters and will work together in mitigating the effects of any Major Incident.
BTP will be responsible for investigating, in conjunction with Network Rail and the train operating companies, the cause of any incident. Preservation of evidence at the scene of an incident is the responsibility of the BTP.
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Conveyance of Hazardous Substances
The movement by road of goods which can be considered dangerous occurs many times each day and most local roads are subject to such traffic at one time or another. However it is safe to assume that those areas which host industrial complexes and processing facilities will be exposed to greater levels of such traffic.
As a result of this increased exposure there is possibly greater risk that a major incident might occur; however, it should not be assumed that this is likely. This plan has not been written therefore as a result of a perceived increase in the risk of such events, but as an additional level of preparedness should such an event occur.
In the event of a Major Incident, Northumbria Police would be responsible for policing any area affected, whilst Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Service would be responsible for dealing with the immediate incident itself. All Emergency Services liaise fully on safety matters and work together in mitigating the effects of any Major Incident. In addition each Local Authority in Tyne and Wear would activate its own Major Incident Plan as appropriate. |
Aircraft Accidents
In the case of a major disaster and for incidents above a certain level of alert, Newcastle International Airport will call upon the assistance of the Emergency Services, Newcastle City Council and the Tyne and Wear Emergency Planning Unit.
These procedures are detailed in the Newcastle International Airport Emergency Orders. The Emergency Services response is also detailed in plans specific to Newcastle International Airport. The Emergency Orders are drawn up by the Airport as a requirement of its licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Assistance from the Local Authority would be via the LA Major Incident Plan.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), part of the Department of Transport, has authority to investigate aircraft accidents.
Newcastle International airport is designated as a Co-opted Airfield in the UK Emergency Organisation for military aircraft experiencing technical difficulties. Notification of a Full Emergency or Aircraft Accident is issued to the Emergency Services and Local Authority in the same manner as for incidents involving civil aircraft.
If an airliner crashes in this country, ‘EPIC’ (BA Emergency Procedures
Information Centre) located at Heathrow, will open and act as a central airline
co-ordination point in support of the Police. It will supply an emergency number
to the media and duplicate some of the work of the Police Casualty Bureau. It
collates reservations, next of kin, and other relevant information in a hijack
or accident situation. Details of passengers, crew, cargo, etc can be obtained. |
Plans exist and are continually updated to address possible major transport incidents within Tyne and Wear. Continuous liaison by the EPU, Emergency Services and Local Authorities with all transport providers/agencies maintains resilience across the transport network.
Multi agency meetings address the changing demands on the transport infrastructure, review Government policy, identify improved inter agency agreements. The EPU is a member of all the liaison groups and are involved in major incident planning.
Individual organisational plans are designed to mitigate the effects of any incident involving the transport provider/agency, they are also designed to address the multi agency response and the effects of any such incident on the wider community.
Plans exist to cover:
- Tyne and Wear Metro
- National Rail Network/Rail Companies
- British Transport Police
- The Conveyance of Hazardous Substances
- Newcastle International Airport
- Tyne Tunnel
- Port of Sunderland/Port of Tyne
- Road Network
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Associated Links:
www.twpta.gov.uk (Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority)
www.newcastle-airport.co.uk
www.dft.gov.uk (Department of Transport)
www.tyneandwearmetro.co.uk
www.networkrail.co.uk/
portofsunderland.org.uk
www.portoftyne.com
www.newcastle.gov.uk/tunnel
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