D.C. firefighters got a taste of what's its like to work in the bowels of the Amtrak system during a disaster drill at Union Station Sunday, July 24.

The exercise involved the supposed derailment and fire of a passenger train in the tunnel that takes rail traffic beneath the station to points south. A full box alarm assignment was involved in the scenario.

Fire units wound their way into the tunnel to find a real train placed there, which included several different style passenger cars they would encounter when dealing with the variety of commuter and long haul rail services that pass thru D.C.

Deep inside the tube, firefighters hooked up to the standpipe system and searched the train for victims, as well as simulating dealing with problems such as killing power, chocking the cars, and shutting down the locomotive.

As exhausted firefighters exited the hole after the approximately two hour drill, they were re-hydrated and rehabed by the canteen unit and rehab bus of the Friendship Fire Association. A debrief followed inside a Union Station Lounge.

The exercise was a joint effort between D.C. Fire and EMS and Amtrak, and included observers from several other agencies.