The European Commission has provided PKP SA with innovative detectors for detecting explosives and hazardous chemical substances. For the first time in Poland, the systems will be tested in the railway space. Cooperation is an important element of the EU action plan to improve safety in rail transport.
As part of a joint initiative by PKP SA and the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission (DG HOME), on 29 October 2024, EC representatives handed over 4 IONSCAN 600 devices to the CEO of PKP SA and PKP Group, Alan Beroud. Modern detectors designed to detect and identify trace amounts of explosives and hazardous chemical substances will be tested by the Police and Border Guard in railway spaces, including stations and trains.
The tests will be conducted from 30 October 2024 to 31 March 2025 and are aimed at checking the functionality and developing a plan of requirements for systems used in the railway environment. The meeting devoted to cooperation in increasing the safety of rail travel in Poland was also attended by representatives of ministries, the Police, Border Guard, SOK, RCB, ABW, PKP Intercity and PKP CARGO.
“The role of critical infrastructure, such as rail infrastructure, is crucial in the geopolitical context dominated by military operations in Ukraine and threats related to potential terrorist attacks. Poland’s strategic location means that close cooperation with the European Commission is necessary to strengthen the security of this part of Europe. Recently, we have placed even greater emphasis on these issues internally, as well as in cooperation with Polish services. Testing anti-terrorist systems is not only prevention, it is another step towards developing a comprehensive security strategy for the entire rail environment in Polandm,” says Alan Beroud, CEO of PKP SA
Testing of specialist detectors is another step in line with the actions taken by the EC since 2020 to strengthen the security of European critical infrastructure. Following the example of solutions used at airports, solutions for strengthening and functioning of railway infrastructure in various operational environments are currently being tested in EU countries. Poland is the 6th country in Europe to have become involved in actions for railways conducted by DG HOME. Previously, such systems were tested, among others, by the international association of police organizations in Europe RAILPOL in 5 countries: the Netherlands, Germany, France, Slovakia and Romania.
Participation in the tests of modern IONSCAN 600 systems is another activity in the field of railway infrastructure security in which PKP SA is involved. Representatives of the company regularly participate in international meetings and working groups, including at the UIC (International Union of Railways) as part of the COLPOFER group, the aim of which is to protect people and property and ensure the safety of rail traffic, as well as in the IMPRESS project launched in 2023, aimed at, among other things, strengthening the security system of railway public spaces (passenger stations, trains) by including private third parties (including tenants of commercial space, service staff at railway stations and on trains, etc).
PKP SA also participated in the SHERPA project, the aim of which was, among other things, to strengthen cooperation on threats and issues related to terrorism at the European level between railway undertakings and competent authorities, to promote a coherent approach to railway security throughout Europe, and to achieve the right balance between security needs and ethical and legal aspects.
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