Metal detectors at train stations would ‘make life impossible’, says transport secretary | UK news
Metal detector scanners at train stations would “make life impossible” for passengers, the transport minister said, adding that a review into security following the mass stabbing on a high-speed train would examine all other options.
A member of train staff who intervened to protect passengers as the service approached Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire remains critically ill in hospital but is now in a stable condition, Heidi Alexander told Sky News.
He said British Transport Police officers would maintain visible patrols at stations over the next few days to reassure passengers, but rejected the idea of using security scanners or belts at stations.
“I don’t think airport-style scanners are going to be the way to go,” Alexander said. “I understand why you’re asking this question, and I also understand why some of your viewers might be wondering this.
“We have thousands of train stations across the UK and they have multiple entrances, multiple platforms. What we can’t do is make life impossible for everyone, but we need to take sensible and proportionate steps to make the public transport network safe.”
Citing the example of a terrorist attack on London Bridge in 2017, in which a minibus was plowed into pedestrians and vehicle blockers were subsequently placed on pavements on various bridges in the capital, Alexander said a review of train safety measures could provide further answers.
Asked what else could be done, Alexander said that no matter how horrific Saturday’s attack was, public transportation is a “generally low-crime environment.”
“Our trains are one of the safest means of public transport anywhere in the world. For every 1 million passenger journeys made, 27 crimes are committed.”
A 32-year-old British national from Peterborough is being questioned after 10 people were injured on the Peterborough-London service at 6.25pm on Saturday.
Speaking to Times Radio, the transport minister said the arrested man was “not known to the counter-terrorism police, not known to the security services and not known to the Prevent programme”.
Asked if the suspect was known to mental health services, he said: “I’m afraid I’m not in a position to share any further information about this person.”
British Transport Police said one of the LNER workers was recorded on CCTV trying to stop the attacker as the train traveled between Peterborough and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.
Alexander told Sky he wanted to praise train staff and emergency workers for their response: “Most importantly, I want to thank the emergency services and the only person in hospital who is still in a critical condition and is in a stable condition.
“But that morning he went to work and put himself in danger to work on that train service, to serve the passengers. There are people alive today because of his actions and his courage.”
