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Keeping security on track
The sheer volume of people using them is the biggest obstacle.
If restrictions and stringent security checks are put in place, passenger flow is slowed down and efficiency is dramatically reduced.
Security has to be relatively low-key. This in itself produces problems such as fare dodging, vandalism and public disorder. These “minor” problems lose operating companies enormous amounts of revenue each year.
As well as suffering damage to property and lost fares, the rail operators are also faced with the indirect effects of low-level crime on their networks: law-abiding people are put off travelling by rail.
As well as being a necessity, security is often a cost-saving measure; it restores faith and makes the public feel more secure, which in turn leads to increased ticket sales.
New strategies required for a new threatThe passenger rail networks of London, Mumbai and Madrid have recently all proved to be vulnerable to terrorist attack. Roz Wilson, security expert and co-author of Securing Global Transportation Networks, believes that technology is vital in the fight against terror. “Technology is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect rail networks,” she says. “Technology that can detect tampering enhances the security of passengers, and biometric devices that can verify the identity of workers and those with access to equipment, rail yards and supply delivery locations can further minimise risks.” G4S is actively involved in the development of new technologies. G4S Norway, for example, has just made major changes to its contractual arrangements with Oslo’s large subway network which transports 200,000 passengers a day. During the next 12 months, the entire fleet of 200 trains will have the latest security monitoring equipment installed. With this new system, images are transmitted wirelessly from a number of surveillance cameras, mounted on each platform, into the train driver’s cabin. The system is designed to eliminate unintentional incidents and personal injuries when boarding and leaving carriages. Feedback from passengers has already indicated that they feel more secure with this system in place. John Rangtveit of G4S Norway sees it as a major step-up in terms of security: “When the system is ready it will be able to transmit – and save – live video from all stations and platforms to the central security office. It will make for a much safer environment for all.” |
Not just passenger security
Attacks on freight trains could potentially pose a far greater menace than those on passenger routes. Huge volumes of hazardous waste are transported by rail every year and it can be highly toxic. In 2004, chlorine gas escaped from a freight wagon after an accident in rural Texas and caused deaths a mile way. Should a carriage full of toxic inhalants rupture in a densely populated area, the loss of life could be catastrophic.
A recent incident in the US has shown that strengthening security on freight lines has to be a priority. Carl Prine, a reporter with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, was able to penetrate 48 hazardous chemical plants and the freight lines that service them. Despite operating in broad daylight, whilst carrying a press pass and a camera, Prine was never once stopped and was even able to gain access to signal boxes that controlled rail traffic.
However, Tom White of the Association of American Railroads contends that it is simply not practical to provide tight security for such a huge infrastructure:
“The best security plan is one that is able to find out about an attack before it happens so that it can be prevented from happening at all. That is why railroads have adopted a plan that relies heavily on intelligence to prevent an attack, or enable the authorities to take appropriate counter measures.”
Rail security has never been more high profile, and the crucial questions that every rail operator’s security representatives have to attempt to answer are: “Which passengers pose a threat to the network’s profitability and the security of its passengers?”, and “How can they be excluded so that law-abiding passengers can travel without fear?”.
Those who find the right answers can expect to see an impressive increase in business.
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Keeping security on track
