Prague - Security measures in the Czech railway system have been increased because of a possible threat of terrorist attacks on European railway transport. The state Railway Infrastructure Administration (SZDC) was warned in this respect by Czech security agencies a few days ago, said SZDC spokesman Jakub Ptacinsky.
"We have implemented security measures and more measures will follow depending on the development of the situation, as the possible risk gets more specific," said Ptacinsky, adding that he cannot say what measures exactly have been implemented because it would render them useless. The spokesman only said that the measures have a preventive character and passengers will not be affected by them.
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The possibility of terrorist attacks by al Qaeda against Europe's railway transport was first reported by Germany's Bild newspaper. Neighboring Germany has also implemented increased security measures, especially at railway stations and the railway tracks used by ICE high-speed trains.
German officials received the information about the threat from the American National Security Agency (NSA), which had allegedly wiretapped a phone conversation between senior al Qaeda operatives several weeks ago. The conversation was allegedly centered on a major terrorist attack against European rail transport
Security experts say that the international Islamist terror network may sabotage Europe's railway infrastructure or carry out bomb attacks against the tracks and tunnels used by high-speed trains.
The Security Information Service (BIS), a Czech security and counterintelligence agency, said that the Czech Republic is not under any imminent threat.
"We have absolutely no information neither from our internal sources nor from foreign ones about any immediate and imminent risk. I am absolutely sure that if there was such information, our partners would immediately pass it to us as well as we to them," said BIS spokesman Jan Subrt in reference to other European intelligence and security agencies.
"If the SZDC has received such a warning, then I really don't know from whom," said Subrt. "That information comes from the media, not from security sources."
Likewise, the Interior Ministry in neighboring Austria, which is also in contact with the German intelligence service, said that "at present there is no reason to worry."
