To get better prepared for major incidents in the railway system, Railway District (RAILDIST) has rolled out a "Key Formation Partnership" project, with Wan Chai District (WCHDIST) being the first participating formation. A series of collaborative plans targeting the particular features of the two MTR stations in WCHDIST have been formulated.
Visits to station facilities
RAILDIST officers, acting as guides, led WCHDIST officers to pay on-site visits to Wan Chai Station and Causeway Bay Station for the latter to get more familiar with the station layout, operations control centres in the stations, emergency exits, and the stops for substituted transports in the event of major incidents.
Joint emergency exercises
"Table-top" and "practical" joint emergency exercises were conducted for strengthening officers' response capability to handle major incidents by simulating an incident in which a compartment of a train traveling in a tunnel suddenly caught fire and a contingency plan was executed.
Project RAILWATCH
WCHDIST has teamed up with RAILDIST in devising a programme for students and JPC members in the district for boosting their awareness of safety and crime prevention in the railway system with seminars, visits and lectures.
Long-term development
In districts with major railway developments, for example the Exhibition Station in Wan Chai, RAILDIST will play the role of "a bridge" between the district stakeholders and the MTR for forging close liaison in early identification of matters of police concerns.
The on-site visits and emergency exercises of the project were carried out smoothly and they will be repeated periodically. RAILDIST and WCHDIST will carry out the remaining plans with a view to retaining experiences and introducing the project to other districts if necessary.
