This is only a test: Mock train accident drill in Braintree prepares for the worst

BRAINTREE – The MBTA will be conducting an emergency evacuation drill Sunday morning simulating a commuter rail train which derailed after striking a motor vehicle at a grade crossing.

The drill is scheduled to begin at approximately 10 a.m. and will last until about noon on the tracks adjacent to Grossman Drive and the Braintree Marketplace shopping center. Neighbors and businesses may notice heightened activity in the area starting as early as 7 a.m.

Public safety personnel will practice emergency response plans and procedures for a mass casualty incident. Under the scenario for the exercise, several passengers are "injured" and others must be taken off the train. The exercise will take place on a side track, and commuter rail service on the Middleboro/Lakeville and Kingston commuter rail lines will operate on their regular schedule.

The exercise is being conducted jointly by MBTA Railroad Operations with commuter rail operator Keolis; freight operators CSX and the Fore River Railroad; MBTA Transit Police, Braintree and Quincy Police; the Braintree, Quincy and Weymouth fire departments; Brewster EMS; and mutual aid responders.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: What is happening on the train tracks at Braintree Marketplace?