A meeting of the working body “security of international freight corridors” was held on 9 February in Moscow at the invitation of RZD. This working body is chaired by PKP/PLK (Mr Miroslaw SOKOL) and the meeting was attended by PKP/PLK, SNCF, SNCB, DB AG, LDZ, KTZ, UZ and various Russian representatives. UIC was represented by Jacques Colliard, head of UIC’s security division, and by Ho Kwon Cho, representing the Asian Region. Also present was Mrs Irina Petrunina, in charge of relations with OSJD. The meeting was opened by Mrs Ludmilla Renne, deputy head of RZD’s international relations department.
The experiences shared focused particularly on the preventive measures for wagon protection and the specificities of the security of dangerous goods convoys (and the relevant threats and risks).
The group’s involvement in the work to be undertaken within the framework of the research project Protectrail has also given the members the opportunity to clarify their needs and questions on the various ways to improve freight security, for example between Europe and Asia.
Furthermore, part of the future activity of the group will be carried out in liaison with the UIC freight department for some of the questions raised by the World Economic Forum.
The meeting was followed on 10 March by the visit to Kazan station and the devices for the automatic checking of freight safety and security by CCTV and adapted software.
The second meeting was of the working body “human factors” chaired by RZD (Mr Yuri Mironov). It was the opportunity to agree on a list of key definitions concerning the issues of transport security and was also dedicated to the discussion of a RZD draft document on “preventive procedures from terrorist attacks on railway facilities”. The drafting of the final document will continue with a view to it being adopted during 2011. The work programme for 2012 will include the preparation of two documents on the behaviour of staff and passengers in cases of emergency.
In conclusion of these days’ meetings, Mrs Ludmilla Renne stressed the importance RZD accords to security problems and confirmed RZD’s involvement in UIC security activities.
