Trenitalia: the medical train is now operational

Trenitalia's medical train is a convoy that allows for the transfer and treatment of patients with dedicated medical staff on carriages equipped with specific medical equipment.

The medical train, which will be used to serve the country for emergencies and calamities, was built by Trenitalia (Gruppo FS Italiane) at the Voghera Cyclic Maintenance Workshops in collaboration with the Civil Protection Department and the Lombardy Regional Emergency and Urgency Agency (AREU).

The train can serve as a means of transporting patients to other parts of Italy or abroad to reduce pressure on hospital facilities, in addition to being an addition to the territorial health services for emergency management, when used as an Advanced Medical Post.

The use of the train is defined by an agreement signed by Trenitalia, the Civil Protection Department, and AREU.

Train Description

The train consists of eight carriages and two locomotives positioned at the front and rear of the convoy.

 The carriages are divided as follows:

• three medical carriages with intensive care beds for ventilated patients in an invasive manner;
• two technical carriages necessary for the operation of medical equipment, in particular, to host generators that create an independent power system for the medical facilities;
• two carriages, one with beds for staff and the second prepared for technical-sanitary coordination and the filter area necessary for passing between the clean area and the operational area;
• a storage carriage for transporting all materials and medical devices.

Main Features of the Train

The convoy has been designed to provide a level of healthcare assistance up to intensive care, even in biocontainment, with the ability to integrate additional carriages with further medical-sanitary functions.

Each of the three medical carriages can transport up to seven patients, for a total of 21 available beds. These carriages are operated by specialized healthcare personnel, technical-logistical staff, and management for a maximum of 45 operators.

Medical Equipment

The train is equipped with the minimum necessary equipment to manage any kind of emergency or calamity, including:

• 21 lung ventilators;
• 1 ultrasound machine;
• 2 blood gas analyzers;
• 21 monitors, aspirators, and other equipment;
• 3 monitoring stations.