Rail Transit Security in an International Context

Open, accessible urban public transportation systems have become increasingly frequent targets for terrorists in recent years. This article draws from a series of interviews with transit officials responsible for the security of rail transit systems, as well as architects and engineers responsible for designing and operating these systems in four world cities: London, Paris, Tokyo, and Madrid. The findings show that transit security is, not surprisingly, a major and growing concern of transit operators in these cities. Collectively, the interviewees report drawing on a broad mix of strategies to respond to terrorism and, in the process, struggle mightily to balance the trade-offs between increased security on one hand and openness and attractiveness of their systems on the other. Accordingly, coordination between transit agencies and police/intelligence agencies has become a crucial component of security planning.