Brussels, 14/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - EU land transport safety experts on the LANDSEC group, meeting on Friday 11 September, recommended implementation of safety plans adjusted to potential risks.
After the proposals discussed and advanced by rail sector private players on Friday 11 September (see EUROPE 11387), the member states would seem to prefer to take the non-regulatory (“soft law”) route and flexibility. According to a source close to the matter, the European Commission will be called on to bring forward recommendations and to draft guidelines for the rail sector safety framework. The content of the safety plan will be for the member states to determine, to suit national situations and their assessments of risk levels. However, to tailor the measures as well as possible to the threats on the ground, rail companies will have to submit safety plans adapted to routes travelled.
These safety plans could, for instance, contain staff training to deal with emergencies, the frequency of attack simulations or installation of video surveillance on board trains. Deployment of civilian safety agents (“on-train marshalls”) has, however, been definitively ruled out. While marshalls may be useful on planes, they would not be on an 18-carriage train, according to the institutions.
Ultimately, two measures put to the Commission - implementation of differentiated safety measures dependent on identified threats and installation of on-board video surveillance cameras (see EUROPE 11375) - seem to be under serious consideration by the member states, contrary to what was announced following the meeting with the private sector (see EUROPE 11387). The scope now has to be determined: will it cover all high-speed trains or only trans-European trains?
The Commission will draft a working document for transport ministers who will discuss this issue over lunch on 8 October, while the political pillar of the 4th rail package will form the main topic of the Transport Council (see EUROPE 11333). (Pascal Hansens)