Hospital train
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A hospital train is a
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
with carriages equipped for the provision of
healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...
. Historically this has ranged from trains equipped to transport wounded soldiers, with basic nursing and first aid facilities on board, to fully equipped mobile medical centres, sometimes including operating theatres and nursing wards.


History


Origins

The first hospital train was built during the
Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
in the 1850s. Poorly operated logistical supply networks and inadequate health provisions for the British army encamped around the Russian port of
Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
caused a public outcry in England. To alleviate these problems, the
Grand Crimean Central Railway The Grand Crimean Central Railway was a military railway built in 1855 during the Crimean War by Great Britain. Its purpose was to supply ammunition and provisions to Allied soldiers engaged in the Siege of Sevastopol who were stationed on a pl ...
was initially built by a partnership of English railway contractors led by
Samuel Morton Peto Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Baronet (4 August 1809 – 13 November 1889) was an English entrepreneur, civil engineer and railway developer, and, for more than 20 years, a Member of Parliament (MP). A partner in the firm of Grissell and Peto, he ...
in 1855, to supply ammunition and provisions to Allied soldiers. Within three weeks of the arrival of the fleet carrying materials and men the railway had started to run and in seven weeks of track had been completed. The railway was a major factor leading to the success of the siege. The line was surveyed by
Donald Campbell Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...
. Although the railway's primary function was the supply of armaments and equipment, the train was also used for the transport of the wounded. The first such instance of this occurred on April 2, 1855, when the train was used to carry the sick and injured from the plateau down to the dock at Balaclava. Towards and during the second winter, the supplies carried by the railway were different. The siege had ended, carriage of ammunition was less important, and the supplies related more to the accommodation and comfort of the troops. These included huts to replace tents, clothing, food, books and medical supplies. Following the completion of the Sardinian branch, the railway had reached its limit. In all, it measured about plus a few miles of sidings and loops.


Expansion

Hospital trains were subsequently used during the
Franco-Austrian War The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Franco-Austrian War, the Austro-Sardinian War or Italian War of 1859 ( it, Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana; french: Campagne d'Italie), was fought by the Second French Empire and t ...
, the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
and the Franco-Prussian War. They were also used extensively during colonial campaigns, notably in the
Anglo-Zulu War The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, coupl ...
. However, these hospital trains remained primarily as troop trains, with the passengers restricted to the wounded and dying. They had little or nothing in terms of onboard medical facilities, although
nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
s traveled with the wounded and the carriages of the trains were painted with
red cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
es to indicate their humanitarian role and to prevent enemy attack. It was during the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
that trains began to be used as mobile medical facilities along the Western Front and other subsidiary theatres of the war. Ambulance trains were organised by the
Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...
with onboard surgical wards and essential medical supplies. Trains were used to evacuate over 100,000 British casualties from the battlefield at
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
in one month of 1914 alone. These trains were able to connect with
hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. ...
s at French
channel ports The Channel Ports are seaports in southern England and the facing continent, which allow for short crossings of the English Channel. There is no formal definition, but there is a general understanding of the term. Some ferry companies divide thei ...
in order to repatriate wounded British soldiers back to England. There are numbers of extant journal entries from those who experienced the hospital trains of this era, many being referred to as "Great White Hospital Trains", as the carriages were often painted white or red and white. Hospital trains were used on a large scale during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
by all the major combatants and, to a more limited extent, during the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. By that time, however, mobile motor transport and aerial evacuation supplanted the train as the dominant form of mobile medical provision on the battlefield. The
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
had built special Hospital trains to move wounded soldiers in the US, these operated out of New York, New York; Hampton Roads, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; and San Francisco, California.


Currently operating hospital trains


Russian Hospital Trains

Russian local government and state rail services operate five trains since 2010 during specific times of the year and mostly in hard to reach villages across
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
. Each train carries medical staff from the regional cities and traveling remote regions.


The Sovereign Military Order of Malta

The
Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...
(SMOM), which is a sovereign entity (similar to an independent country, though with no sovereign land), has a history of operating hospital trains through its military branch, known as the Military Corps of the Order. The operation of such trains reached its peak in the Second World War, but SMOM continues to operate such trains today. These include trains of carriages to provide shelter to refugees, with basic medical provision, and more technically equipped trains, on which a wide range of medical services may be provided.


Dr. Vagón in Mexico

Owned by Fundación Grupo México, in collaboration with Grupo Mexico Transportes (GMxT - Ferromex), Dr. Vagón is a train hospital which offers free, complete healthcare for hard to reach communities in Mexico. Dr. Vagón has made a big impact in communities where health care was not available or was insufficient. Dr. Vagón is 435 meters long and has 17 fully equipped coaches, with 5 medical offices, bedrooms, dining room, pharmacy and an operation room, among others. Dr. Vagón has a permanent crew of 64 employees made up of medical and administrative personnel. Thanks to this infrastructure and human resources, the train can care for more than 500 people a day providing services as general checkups and specialized examinations in ophthalmology, dermatology, pediatrics, geriatrics, and gynecology. It also offers other medical services such as laboratory studies, X-rays studies, among other. Dr. Vagón also provides eyeglasses, hearing aids and free medication. Having acquired an operating room in late 2019, the Dr. Vagón can carry out ambulatory surgeries. In addition to offering health services, it offers courses and hosts workshops for attendees, as well as showing family-friendly movies.


Lifeline Express of India

The
Lifeline Express The Lifeline Express, or Jeevan Rekha Express, is a hospital train in India that has been running since 16 July 1991. It was a collaboration between the Impact India Foundation (IIF), Indian Railways (IR) and the Health Ministry. The train is fund ...
is an example of a modern hospital train of a highly technologically advanced type. Operated by the Impact India Foundation since 1991, these trains have had a profound impact on Indian rural healthcare provision. Operating in India, across the extensive network of the
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...
, the Lifeline trains (known colloquially as "magic trains") move from town to town, remaining in a siding or platform at each town's
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
for perhaps a week or so, and providing advanced medical services (often beyond the capabilities of local medical centres) to those who apply for them, through a simple vetting or
triage In medicine, triage () is a practice invoked when acute care cannot be provided for lack of resources. The process rations care towards those who are most in need of immediate care, and who benefit most from it. More generally it refers to prio ...
process, which ensures services are provided to those most likely to benefit. These trains include nursing wards, and full-scale operating theatres. They have resident medical and nursing staff, but for surgical procedures they rely upon the charitable provision of time and talents by Indian surgeons who spend some of their free time on board the trains for that purpose.


Chinese eye hospital trains

The state-owned
China Railway China State Railway Group Company, Ltd., doing business as China Railway (CR), is the national passenger and freight railroad corporation of the People's Republic of China. China Railway operates passenger and freight transport throughout Ch ...
company currently operates four eye hospital trains, the fourth and latest being operated through the
CSR Corporation CSR Corporation Limited (CSR), formerly known as China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp was a Chinese manufacturer of locomotive and rolling stock. In 2015, the company merged with China CNR to form CRRC. History In 2007 the China South ...
, and having entered service in early 2009 for the benefit of residents of the
Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
Province. A range of ophthalmic surgeries, including the common
cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...
removal operation, can be provided free of charge on board the trains.


Phelophepa Trains in South Africa

The Phelophea trains have been founded 1994 and are sponsored by companies and private donors. They operate as mobile hospitals and have thus far reached 23 million people.


SNCF Hospital Train

French railway
SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffi ...
adapted a five-unit
TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...
high-speed train in March 2020 for use as a mobile hospital in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The train is used to transport COVID-19 patients to hospitals with open beds.


Gallery

File:Croce Rossa Italiana VIII Centro de mobilitazione Hospital train 6409.jpg, Hospital train cars parked on the grounds of the VIIIth Mobilization Center of
Italian Red Cross The Italian Red Cross (IRC, it, Croce Rossa Italiana or ''CRI'') is the Italian national Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff w ...
, near Marina di
Massa Massa may refer to: Places *Massa, Tuscany, the administrative seat of the Italian province of Massa-Carrara. *Massa (river), river in Switzerland * Massa (Tanzanian ward), administrative ward in the Mpwapwa district of the Dodoma Region of Ta ...
,
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
File:Terapevt Mudrov train.JPG, ''Terapevt Matvey Mudrov'', a train-based mobile medical center of
Russian Railways Russian Railways (russian: link=no, ОАО «Российские железные дороги» (ОАО «РЖД»), OAO Rossiyskie zheleznye dorogi (OAO RZhD)) is a Russian fully state-owned vertically integrated railway company, both manag ...
File:ЦМ ВОВ. Санитарный вагон.jpg, A hospital train car in Russia's National WWII Museum File:United States Army Medical Rail Car.jpg, United States Army Medical Kitchen car at the
United States Army Medical Department Museum The U.S. Army Medical Department Museum — or AMEDD Museum — at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, originated as part of the Army's Field Service School at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. It moved to Fort Sam Houston in 1946. It is current ...
File:Lifeline Express 20080808-3 with 6438 at Shoupakou Bridge (20220413121958).jpg, A ''
Lifeline Express The Lifeline Express, or Jeevan Rekha Express, is a hospital train in India that has been running since 16 July 1991. It was a collaboration between the Impact India Foundation (IIF), Indian Railways (IR) and the Health Ministry. The train is fund ...
'' coach of China File:US Army HospitalCar1944.jpg, US Army Hospital Car in 1944 File:Interior of a ward on a British Ambulance Train in France (2957856955).jpg, British hospital train in France during World War I File:COVIDTGV032020.jpg, A
COVID Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
patient boards a medicalized TGV in France in March 2020


See also

*
Hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. ...
*
Rail ambulance A rail ambulance is a vehicle used for medical transportation services on Track (rail transport), railway lines. The first rail ambulance in Queensland, Australia, was introduced in 1918, with the last withdrawn from service around 1990. The ...
*
Railway surgery Railway surgery was a branch of medical practice that flourished in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It concerned itself with the medical requirements of railway companies. Depending on country, it included some or all of: general practice fo ...


References


External links


The Hospital Train in World War I Germany
{{Hospital articles Types of hospitals Types of health care facilities Trains de:Lazarett#Lazarettzug