Increasing the safety and security of strategic railway terminals through environmental and situational aspects

Abstract

Rail transport is a vital sub-sector of critical infrastructure (CI) in public transportation, primarily through high-speed rail for national and international travel. Strategic railway terminals, designed for high-capacity entry/exit of people and cargo, are key elements of CI. However, they are also considered soft targets due to threats like terrorism and criminal activity. Current directives, standards, and procedures are inadequate for protecting these publicly accessible spaces, which are also critical infrastructure elements (CIE). There are no specific security standards for the technical protection of strategic railway or transport terminals. In response, a methodological procedure has been developed to enhance protection levels. This procedure is based on the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) concept, incorporating international standards for crime and terrorism prevention. It focuses on assessing the environmental and situational security of railway terminals and recommending additional technical measures to address gaps in protection.