OREANDA-NEWS. February 07, 2011. Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, attended a meeting on transport safety at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and spoke about security on transport infrastructure and facilitiesб reported the press-centre of RZD.

Russian Railways is constantly implementing measures to ensure the safety and security of rail transport infrastructure. The Company has its own security department and also employs private security organisations, spending more than 11 billion roubles annually and some 4.5 billion roubles on security equipment. Russian Railways also invests about 250-300 million roubles in upgrading previously installed security systems every year.

According to Yakunin, as part of a comprehensive security and safety programme, by 31 March 2011 Russian Railways will equip stations with special screening equipment for passengers and their carry-on baggage and hand luggage, including multi-zone metal detectors, frame metal detectors and blast containers. The screening equipment will be installed at 34 stations by the end of 2011.

However, Yakunin also said that equipping stations with special equipment without appropriate legislation in place means that the Company’s employees and security organisations cannot carry out the necessary inspections.

"Under existing law, only the police have the right to search people, so they will have to take the first step in inspections at the stations. We have to speed up the development and adoption of the right legal and regulatory framework for screening passengers, cargo and baggage, and settle the organisational issues involved in screening, either by increasing the number of transport police units, or by empowering private security organisations," said Yakunin.

An agreement was also reached at the meeting on the need to restore order around the train stations and transfer responsibility for operational support in maintaining order and security to the transport police, while Russian Railways, in consultation with the municipal authorities, will be responsible for the organisational and commercial activities at and around the stations.

"Establishing more order at the areas around the stations cannot be done without close cooperation with the municipal authorities, but I’d like to note that we have a good understanding on this with both Moscow and St. Petersburg," said Yakunin.