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Understanding the terrorist threat to underground rail networks - Part II
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| 14 July 2005 |
By Alphus Hinds
Based on current information, the events of 7 July 2005 will be a particularly bitter pill for London Underground to swallow. It is the largest and oldest rail network of its kind in the world, and it takes its safety and security responsibilities extremely seriously. It has expended much effort and resources on anti-terrorist and threat displacement measures, particularly in relation to the threat of IEDs left behind on trains or station platforms.
Ironically, underground rail links in major cities are often the largest area of controlled public space within a city. This is true of the London Underground, which is actually the largest area of controlled public space in Europe, with stations and tunnels manned or monitored 24 hours a day.
On average, the Underground deals with between five or six "suspicious" items a day. With such a high volume, it has developed a technique of rapid assessment for its ground staff known by the acronym 'HOT'. This stands for:
H = Is it Hidden ? (Yes/No)
O = Is it Obvious? (Yes/No)
T = Is it Typical? (Yes/No)
The assessment system has been tested by authorities leaving bags and other items that contain batteries and wires unattended. London Underground maintains an in-house threat assessment capability, but intelligence is supplied by the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police. The provided intelligence tends to be non-specific.
Alphus Hinds is head of secure risk at Interfleet, the rail technology consultancy. The views expressed are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of his organisation.
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