Rail Security Questioned After Two Bombs Found on Trains

After two bombs were found Monday in the western German cities of Dortmund and Koblenz and other suspicious pieces of luggage, including bags in Hamburg and Frankfurt, turned out to be harmless, members of Germany conservative Union parties called criticized the security of Germany's trains and in train stations.

"What happened in Madrid and London can also occur in Munich or Berlin," Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentarian Stephan Mayer told the Passauer Neue Presse on Thursday.

Mayer added that train stations as well as trains should be subject to complete video surveillance to "increase security and contribute to determent" of criminal acts.

CSU parliamentarian Norbert Geis called on the rail company to cooperate with the interior ministry to set up airport-like checks for train passengers.

"We cannot take a chance that a bomb explodes in an ICE," Geis told the paper, referring to Germany's high-speed trains.

Scanning all train luggage "unrealistic"

Social Democratic Party member Dieter Wiefelspütz, however, warned that the situation needed to be carefully considered before any major changes are made to rail security.

"We should refrain from falling into a hectic debate after such serious events," he told Reuters on Thursday, adding that scanning all luggage would be unrealistic. "I prefer an objective debate, not premature suggestions."

German railway officials meanwhile said that passengers need to be aware that complete protection cannot be offered. They added that Deutsche Bahn has focused on security since the 2001 terror attacks in the United States and gave security training to employees before the 2006 World Cup.

"We have between 4.5 million and 4.7 million travelers at 5,400 stops and train stations every day," he said, pointing out that it would be nearly impossible to conduct searches of every passenger's luggage. "You cannot put millions of people and their luggage though a metal detector every day."

Search for clues, witnesses continues

More important than scanning every bag and person to enter a train station, Wolfgang Bosbach of the Christian Democratic Union said Deutsche Bahn needed to focus on using the most effective technology and employing enough security personnel.

"Modern video technology, especially in the train stations, has a preventative effect that does not just help after the fact but can prevent crimes," he told the N24 news channel. "In addition to that we naturally need the presence of security guards."

Federal police have increased their patrols of trains and stations and asked train passengers to pay attention to their fellow travelers' luggage to make it easier for conductors to know which bag belongs to whom, said police spokesman Jürgen Karlisch.

Both of the bombs found on regional trains in Germany earlier this week were not discovered until they were opened at two lost and found centers inside the train stations. It remains unclear if the bombs were capable of detonation. In 2003, police in Dresden's main station were late in noticing an unattended bag containing a bomb that failed to explode due to an error in construction.

Prosecutors meanwhile have begun looking for witnesses among train passengers and set up a hotline for tips from the public.

"We are investigating in all directions," said Ullrich Schultheis of the federal prosecutor's office.