Rail Interpol mooted to tackle security threat

In the wake of heightened security threat perception to railways, Indian Railways has proposed setting up of an international body on the lines of Interpol to collaborate with all agencies concerned to meet challenges of rail security at different levels.
The proposal for setting up Rail Interpol was mooted at the two-day International Union of Congress (UIC) meet attended by railway representatives from several countries here.
"Railways is a soft target for terror attack and it is a global phenomenon," said a senior Railway Ministry official adding "at the international level, threats such as terrorism and organised crime, have become transnational in nature, and addressing these threats requires a coordinated response from all concerned stakeholders."

Railway Protection Force along with the UIC will study the feasibility of setting up such a global network on the lines of Interpol.
The study will be undertaken by a group of experts who will holistically examine the emerging nature of threats to rail transport systems, and undertake suitable policy actions to strengthen rail security.
Currently 200 countries are members of the UIC who share experiences of best practices in railways.
The participants emphasised the fact that developing foolproof rail security systems, though challenging, is nevertheless becoming increasingly crucial as heightened security threats, such as terrorism and organized crime, are undermining the safety of rail operations across the world.