Securing Rail
Passenger
Belongings
with Bluetooth
Access Control
By Bob Straka
With onboard security an essential
aspect to rail travel, how can rail carriers
off er new solutions to protect passengers
and their belongings?
W provide a limited number of onboard
lockers for stowing personal
belongings, but these solutions
typically cannot accommodate
larger bags and feature basic mechanical
locks that are exposed to
tampering or manipulation.
With restricted space available,
luggage racks are oft en installed at
the ends of carriages or above passenger
seating where height and
width limits restrict which items
can be stored there. As a result,
luggage is oft en left unsecured
and out of sight at the end of the
aisle, where travelers are reliant
upon other passengers and the
conductor to be vigilant in helping
to prevent onboard theft s from
taking place.
Electronic Access
Solutions Enhance
Physical Security
To alleviate security concerns,
many carriers are beginning
to investigate new solutions for
controlling access to passenger
74 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
NEW SOLUTIONS for controlling access to passenger
belongings, such as onboard storage lockers
equipped with electronic access, provide a higher
level of security and convenience with the added
benefit of remote control and monitoring.
ITH CONTINUED INvestment
in the development
of high-speed
rail networks, passengers
are expected to travel further
and more frequently
as train travel has become
a viable alternative to short-haul
air travel for both business and
pleasure. However, security
continues to present issues for
rail networks, especially when it
comes to protecting passengers
and their belongings. A recent
U.S. study by FBI Uniform Crime
Report reported that for every
100,000 people, 25.48 crimes occurred
daily on one of the nation’s
largest rail carriers.
Onboard security remains
limited. Apart from video surveillance
used on carriages and
rail personnel, there are few measures
in place to secure passenger
belongings, including phones,
tablets and laptops, as well as
larger items, including luggage
and travel bags. Select operators
belongings, such as onboard storage
lockers equipped with electronic
access solutions. Intelligent
electronic locks provide a higher
level of security and convenience
with the added benefi ts of remote
control and monitoring.
Electronic locking solutions
off er a secure solution for rail
carriers looking to eliminate
common issues with mechanical
locks, such as key management.
When combined with an
appropriate access control device,
electronic locks can be easily
networked into an existing