High-speed rail passengers face increased security checks

Passengers travelling from Antwerp Central or Brussels South by high-speed train will now face random baggage searches, federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon has said.

Passengers at the two stations, as well as Liège Guillemins in Wallonia, will now be inspected by security company Securail. Access to the high-speed TGV and Thalys trains is now covered by security apparatus programmed to signal baggage checks for one in 10 passengers on average, according to a random algorithm, Securail spokesperson Hendrik Vanderkimpen said.

“The apparatus is similar to the ones at the airport, but in this case we’re not looking for liquids or nail scissors,” he said. “We are focusing on weapons and explosives.”

The measures are a result of promises made last year after an incident in which three passengers intervened to stop an armed man attacking people on board a Thalys train in France in 2015. The man had boarded the train at Brussels South.

Since the checks are randomly decided, they are not expected to reveal all possible terrorists, whose identification is more likely to result from police intelligence than random checks. However, Jambon said, the apparatus is intended to have more of a deterrent effect. “Terrorists always choose the route of least resistance,” he said. “They now know there’s an increased risk of being checked on the high-speed lines.”

Elsewhere in the stations, police on duty will be trained to spot suspicious behaviour. Brussels South already has 10 officers trained in behaviour analysis and the techniques will be extended to other stations, Jambon said.

The additional security checks will cost €15.7 million on installation and €6.6 million a year thereafter.

Photo: Ad Meskens/Wikimedia