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Eurostar security

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tgsh2011

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5 Jun 2011
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138
The latest security entertainment is at Paris Gare du Nord. That station requires you to remover laptops and iPads. Funny enough, they do not seem to be an issue at any other departure station, either St Pancras, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Brussels.
 

TFN

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17 Aug 2017
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London
The latest security entertainment is at Paris Gare du Nord. That station requires you to remover laptops and iPads. Funny enough, they do not seem to be an issue at any other departure station, either St Pancras, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Brussels.
Lille requires you to remove electronics from your bag. It must be a French requirement.
 

30907

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30 Sep 2012
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Airedale
The latest security entertainment is at Paris Gare du Nord. That station requires you to remover laptops and iPads. Funny enough, they do not seem to be an issue at any other departure station, either St Pancras, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Brussels.
In the days when I flew, the same inconsistency was present. I never worked out whether it was national policy or local :(
 

blimmo

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30 Jul 2025
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676
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West Mids
It's pointless theatre. They know the passport control is usually the bottleneck and that people expect security to cross the border due to their experiences with planes so won't complain much. Security on flights is so important because of the potential for hijacking, Eurostar doesn't need it since you can't hijack a train.
 

30907

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It's pointless theatre. They know the passport control is usually the bottleneck and that people expect security to cross the border due to their experiences with planes so won't complain much. Security on flights is so important because of the potential for hijacking, Eurostar doesn't need it since you can't hijack a train.
No, but ISTR you can bomb it :(
 

williamn

Established Member
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22 May 2008
Messages
1,713
Because it's about the highest profile potential rail target in Europe if not the world.
Are Washington to New York or Paris to Brussels so significantly lower profile that terrorists simply won’t bother with them? The fact is that attacks are prevented by intelligence services not bag scans.
 

nwales58

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15 Mar 2022
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notsure
You could. You could bomb any train. Or the track. Or any tunnel. So why security in Eurostar but not the ex Thalys routes? Why not on the Severn Tunnel?
Ask DfT Land Transport Security (formerly Transec). They are God in these matters.
The Land Transport Security (LTS) team in the Department for Transport is responsible for setting policy in relation to counter-terrorist security on:

  • the national rail network
  • London Underground and other light rail networks
  • buses and coaches
  • the Channel Tunnel
  • international rail services
  • LTS delivers the counter terrorist security compliance programmes for the national railway network, London Underground and other light rail networks regulated for security, the Channel Tunnel and international rail services and the carriage of dangerous goods by rail and road.

The objectives of the compliance programmes and the processes, principles and working practices followed by LTS inspectors are set out in the Land Transport Security compliance policy framework.
Also responsible for requiring all the stainless steel clad deep pillar bollards around stations and airports. They specify, we pay the costs.
 
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Bletchleyite

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20 Oct 2014
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114,045
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"Marston Vale mafia"
Are Washington to New York or Paris to Brussels so significantly lower profile that terrorists simply won’t bother with them?

Yes.

The fact is that attacks are prevented by intelligence services not bag scans.

This just isn't true. The approach is multifaceted. Like accidents, it's Swiss cheese - there are a load of layers each with holes in them, if something gets through a hole in one layer another layer might stop them.
 
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mad_rich

Member
Joined
12 Feb 2013
Messages
594
Location
Newcastle
The latest security entertainment is at Paris Gare du Nord. That station requires you to remover laptops and iPads. Funny enough, they do not seem to be an issue at any other departure station, either St Pancras, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Brussels.
No such requirement at Gare du Nord for me on Tuesday, although myself and the passenger in front were stopped for an explosives swab. It's very variable.

We were also directed not to use the EES machines - which looked like they were in use, as far as I could tell.
 

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