Securing stations, a bit of a headache
Securing stations such as high-speed trains appears to be a real headache. Belgium calls for a meeting of the European countries most concerned
Meeting on Saturday morning, in “National Security Council” format, the Belgian government, chaired by Prime Minister Charles Michel, decided “ the intensification of mixed Franco-Belgian patrols in the Thalys, the strengthening of patrols in international stations andenhanced baggage checks. These measures appear limited. But doing more seems difficult...
A very difficult station to secure
The Brussels Midi station, where the suspect embarked before committing his crime, seems difficult to secure. Anyone who regularly frequents this station quickly realizes this. In addition to the main entrance, it has two secondary entrances, overlooking two different districts. Moreover, it is not a terminus station but a crossing point, with opening platforms on each side. Several hundred thousand commuters pass through it every day.
Measures difficult to implement in practice
It is not uncommon for platforms 3 to 6, dedicated to the Thalys and the TGV, to also receive Belgian national (intercity) trains. " The 22 tracks of the station are all well occupied confirmed Pierre Lejeune, national secretary of the CGSP Cheminots. " Setting up a fully secure platform for Thalys or TGVs as we do for Eurostars seems very difficult. This would require very large investments, personnel, etc. And I do not see how the government will find the means in the midst of budgetary restrictions. An opinion also shared at the level of the European Commission (see below).
Ticket checks
Thalys controllers are present on each platform before departure. But they have not been trained and cannot prevent a traveler in possession of a ticket from boarding. As for the reinforcement of soldiers on patrol in the stations, its role in security appears more “psychological” than real for the unions. In any case, he did not prevent the suspect, Ayoub El Khazani, from boarding Thalys 9364 at 17:13 p.m. Friday.
A "Customs" control mainly aimed at drug trafficking
In high-speed trains, safety also remains delicate. Teams from French Customs, with dogs, regularly crisscross France on TGVs from Brussels or Thalys from Amsterdam. But their target remains the smugglers of cannabis or other narcotics.
The example of aviation not reproducible
A European specialist in transport issues points out that setting up security gates to scan luggage, with reinforced checks on airplane mode or Eurostar type appears “ difficult to put into practice. The number of passengers passing through the stations, the number of trains, the design of the stations themselves (which are not closed like airports but open to the city)... are all differences with the plane. Added to this, the different situation from the legislative point of view. In aviation, there is a whole series of international regulations, particularly around the IATA regulations. " We do not have the same degree of international regulation in the railways which still remains in a significant way the domain of the Member States and a question of sovereignty”.
The Eurostar case: an exception
The Eurostar case — with secure platforms, trains placed under guard, and regulated access with special airlocks — is quite unique and justified because it involves not only going to a non-Schengen country but also crossing the Channel Tunnel. He is " difficult to transpose ". And this represents a certain cost for the trains passing through the tunnel (cf. the case of the German ICE which will soon pass through the tunnel). Similarly, on the European side, we don't want to move towards a Chinese or Russian solution. The Chinese solution is not fully replicable says our interlocutor.
A risk of threat displacement
It is not a problem of legislation. " Legally, it is possible but in practice it seems impossible. explains our European source. Because making watertight access to the platforms, to the trains appears " disproportionate in relation to the threat. And a useless thing. " Assuming that certain high-speed trains are made safe, other trains that travel almost as fast will remain unprotected. The terrorists will turn to normal trains or the metro. We're just going to move the problem. »
A necessary European consultation
In terms of securing cross-border rail traffic, there is therefore still a lot to be done. The Belgian Prime Minister has also requested the organization, as a matter of urgency, of a meeting of the Ministers of Transport and the Interior of the 4 European countries most concerned by the circulation of the Thalys (France, Belgium, Germany, Bottom) for " strengthen preventive measures against terrorism, in particular identity and baggage checks ". Meeting which could be organized quickly… As for the ordinary meeting in October of European Ministers of Transport, it will also have transport safety as its main subject. Experts from the Member States, from the working group "Land Security transport" (Landsec) should prepare the meeting.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
* Article published in Sud-Ouest, August 23, in a first version, supplemented in particular with details from European experts.
