We must balance increased security with the freedom to travel
...Any proposals by national security agencies to introduce airport-style security checks at stations for cross-border train services should be resisted by railways for several reasons. First, it will take time to create secure areas at stations and to purchase and install the equipment and hire and train staff. Platforms will have to be dedicated to international services so that they can be made secure, which will have implications for station capacity and train operations.
Railways operate very differently from airlines. Aircraft mainly fly point-to-point whereas very few passenger trains operate non-stop. ...Indeed, widespread introduction of airport-style security would be extremely costly and is likely to result in the removal of intermediate stops or the withdrawal of entire services. Many cross-border services have already been withdrawn because of the perceived difficulty of operating them or because railways have lost interest in such services....
As discussions over how to respond to the security threat posed by terrorists intensify, we must find intelligent solutions to defeat terrorism and not resort to measures which will destroy a key element of rail travel.
