The UIC Security Platform’s Human Factors Working Group, chaired by Yuri Mironov (RZD), met on 11 February 2013. On 12 February 2013, the UIC Security Platform Steering Committee met under the chairmanship of Platform Chairman Lubomir Hradisky (ZSSK). The Vice-Chairman of the Security Platform is Pradeep Kumar Mehta (RPF/Indian Railways).
Among the main decisions taken or confirmed:
The document developed by the Human Factors Working Group on action to be taken in the event of a terrorist attack is to be published by UIC as a common core document, enabling other railway companies to adapt the principles outlined therein to their own constraints and national institutional framework.
Efforts are to continue in the area of security research, particularly within the scope of European programmes, in order to provide UIC members with as many cost-effective solutions as possible through sharing experience, analyses, and existing and prospective technological solutions in the various fields related to the security of people and property in rail transport. On this subject it should be noted that the final demonstration of the PROTECTRAIL project will be held in October/November 2013 in Zmigrod (Poland), with the project officially scheduled to end in April 2014.
The 2013 World Security Congress, to be held jointly with SNCF, will take place from 13 – 14 November 2013 at UIC HQ in Paris. The main theme of the congress will be “Strategy and Regulation” in the field of security, following the 2011 Congress in Rome on the theme of security technologies and the 2012 Congress in Bratislava on the theme of human factors.
1 June 2012 saw the publication of a European Commission decision to create a Land Transport Security Expert Group at governmental level, completed by a “stakeholder” group of experts. The first meeting of this group, held on 30 January 2013, (see UIC eNews Nr 331) reinforces the need for coordination between railway companies, infrastructure managers and operators on this subject. A joint document, developed in collaboration between the various partners involved, is to be sent to the Commission before the end of March 2013.
Finally, the Steering Committee encouraged two working groups chaired by PKP PLK, one on cross-border passenger traffic and the other on the security of international freight corridors, to examine ways of building on the results already achieved and coordinating their activities to help UIC members to better meet their changing needs. To this end, a meeting will be held in Warsaw from 18 – 19 February.
