Over 50 participants, representing more than 30 companies from 16 countries, gathered at UIC Headquarters in Paris, France on 14 May 2025 to discuss the findings and main outputs of project IMPRESS (IMPRoving Railway sEcurity through awareneSS and training).
The two-year project, co-funded by the European Union, began in June 2023. It was coordinated by the UIC Security Department and implemented in partnership with the security services of four major European railway companies (from Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Belgium), and the German Police University.
The main objective was to improve the protection of stations and trains by developing security training for the ‘immediate responders’ from the railway environment and awareness programmes for all stakeholders. After two years of intensive research and co-development, IMPRESS showcased its outputs, including six training modules and public awareness materials.
Marie-Hélène Bonneau, UIC Security Department Director and IMPRESS Project Coordinator, opened the conference and spoke “on behalf of the dedicated teams from UIC, DHPOL, NS, FS, PKP S.A, and SNCB—who worked side by side to make this project a success”. She also highlighted that security is about more than technology—it’s about people: “With the right knowledge and training, we can build a safer, more resilient railway network for everyone.” She thanked the European Commission—especially DG HOME—for co-funding the project and making this work possible.
Then, Laurence Wathy, the Project Officer from EU DG HOME, pointed out that the project stood out as one of the representatives and pioneers of public transport security. She reminded that “the goal of our funds is to bring an added value to the EU as a whole, to complement the work done at national level, and to promote cooperation and knowledge exchange across different Member States” – something that was achieved though the IMPRESS objectives.
The project partners then presented the project results and achievements.
Grigore Havârneanu of the UIC Security Department presented the methodology used to collect the training needs and requirements from multiple sources. The data collected from 18 railway companies spanning across 14 countries, a review of the literature, along with a validation workshop allowed the project team to identify which topics needed to be included in future training, and for which target groups.
Then, Thomas Goergen of the German Police University explained the design and development of the training modules in line with the specified requirements. Two workshops with end-users were organised to define and validate the design of these modules, ensuring their practical relevance and effectiveness. He emphasised that an iterative, user-centred approach ensured the modules were tailored to operational realities and addressed the specific requirements of ‘immediate responders’ – including rail staff at stations and onboard trains, security personnel, cleaning staff, and shop staff.
During the session on lessons learned, the railway partners from the consortium (FS, PKP S.A., SNCB and NS) shared valuable insights gained from implementing and assessing the pilot trainings during the project testing phase. By using a training-of-trainers approach combined with modular, editable training materials, staff were able to experience the sessions in their native languages, adapted to their local contexts, and therefore gain valuable insights on how to both identify and react to various security threats. Further, in each company, trainees participated in practical exercises simulating real security scenarios to test knowledge acquisition. All railway end-users highlighted that the exercises they organiszed generated overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants, underscoring once more the effectiveness and relevance of the IMPRESS training modules.
The afternoon session focused on the presentation of key exploitable results from the project. First, the IMPRESS awareness video was unveiled to the audience. Second, participants discovered a serious game conceived to foster engagement, collaboration, and practical learning among railway staff and stakeholders. It leverages game-based mechanics to help participants recognise early warning signs of potential security threats in a busy train station environment. Third, the conference participants saw the six awareness posters developed during the project. Finally, Kirsten Verlaan of NS showcased one of the IMPRESS training modules on lessons from past violent and terror attacks in railway environments. The module was well received, with participants appreciating its practical approach and relevance to real-world railway security challenges.
To broaden the scope of the conference, a synergies session was organised, whereby Steve Pennesi, former British Transport Police (BTP) Officer, provided a presentation on behavioural detection. He illustrated how some more advanced elements or techniques could be used to enhance the IMPRESS trainings further.
Just after, Guillaume Brumter of the European Organisation for Security (EOS) presented the Secure Worship and Public Spaces Cluster. He emphasised that the cluster facilitates synergy between projects, promoting knowledge exchange, avoiding duplication, and maximising the impact of EU security initiatives. As a member of this cluster, IMPRESS will maximise its impact on the protection of vulnerable public spaces across Europe.
Laura Petersen of the UIC Security Department highlighted the project’s strong dissemination and exploitation activities including the IMPRESS media monitoring on rail security, with six editions already published and a seventh forthcoming. She emphasised that all the project resources are available in six national languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Polish. All results will be included on the UIC Rail Security Hub to maximise accessibility and impact in the rail sector.
Closing the conference, Marie-Hélène Bonneau thanked the project partners for two years of excellent cooperation, the external experts who contributed to the work through the various workshops and training sessions, and the conference attendees for their active participation. She announced that the work will continue with a new project called CBRNe4rail (CBRNe Preparedness for passenger rail transport hubs), funded under the same DG HOME ISF framework from 1 June.
All presentations are available on UIC Extranet at Final Conference - UIC Extranet.
You can follow IMPRESS on:
X: @IMPRESS_RAIL_EU
YouTube: IMPRESS_RAIL_EU
LinkedIn: IMPRESS_RAIL_EU
The web: https://impress-rail-project.eu/
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
