Security Research Projects

SAFETRAVELLERS - Secure and Frictionless Identity for EU and Third Country National Citizens

SAFETRAVELLERS has received funding from European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme under Grant Agreement N°101121269

The project is on-going

DURATION
January 2024 – December 2026

CONSORTIUM

• Coordinator: Instituto De Engenharia De Sistemas E Computadores Inovacao (INOV) – Portugal
• UIC – France
• Idemia Identity & Security France
• Idemia Identity & Security Germany
• Vision Box – Portugal
• Vrije Universiteit Brussel – Belgium
• Netcompany-Intrasoft SA – Luxembourg
• EASC EV – Germany
• European Association For Biometrics – Netherlands
• European Association Of Airport & Seaport Police (EAASP) – Netherlands
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GMBH – Austria
• Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) – France
• Ubitech – Greece
• Iproov B.V. – Netherlands
• Quadible I.K.E.– Greece
• Ascora GMBH– Germany
• Mathema SRL – Italy
• Arthur’s Legal BV – Netherlands
• Ianus Consulting LTD – Cyprus
• Interior Ministry of Finland
• Justice Ministry of Portugal
• Interior Ministry of Slovakia
• Romania General Police Inspectorate

CONTEXT
Identity theft is a growing concern worldwide, affecting millions of individuals and causing significant financial losses. In the European Union, this problem is particularly evident, with a rising number of citizens falling victim to sophisticated fraudulent schemes. Recent statistics indicate that 56% of Europeans have encountered some form of fraud in the past two years alone.
One area of particular concern is the manipulation and counterfeiting of security documents, which enables transnational crime and poses significant challenges for law enforcement.

AIM

Enhance border security, improve the effectiveness of border authorities and law enforcement agencies (LEAs), and ensure a seamless travel experience for EU and third-country national (TCN) citizens.

OBJECTIVES
SafeTravellers offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges by focusing on three key objectives:
a) Strengthening border security through the implementation of advanced tools to combat identity fraud at the hardware, identity document, and biometric levels.
b) Enhancing the productivity of border authorities and LEAs by providing them with the necessary technology and resources to detect and prevent fraudulent activities more effectively.
c) Facilitating frictionless border crossings for EU and TCN citizens by introducing a new method of citizen identification based on multiple biometrics and improving existing identity verification processes.

SafeTravellers prioritizes data privacy and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The proposed solution incorporates various privacy-preserving mechanisms to safeguard citizens’ rights and ensure that personal data, particularly biometric information, remains protected.

ADDED VALUE FOR RAIL

Through the establishment of a distributed European Multi-Biometric Data Space, SafeTravellers enables Member States to retain control over the personal data of their nationals while enabling seamless cross-border identity checks, including railway transportation, without the need to transfer or disclose sensitive biometric data. This approach ensures both enhanced security and privacy protection for individuals traveling within the EU.

WEBSITE: https://safetravellers-project.eu/

IMPRESS - IMProving Railway sEcurity through awareneSS and training

The project is on-going

IMPRESS aims at improving the protection of stations and trains by developing security training and awareness programmes for all stakeholders in rail stations and on trains. The scope of the training includes security culture in general, with a wide range of significant threats for several European rail operators, and CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and explosive) threats specifically, which represent a more challenging scenario. The IMPRESS project will focus on the ‘immediate responders’ from the railway environment, or those who are most likely to be the first to prevent or react to a security incident when it occurs on railway premises. This target group of end-users includes rail staff at stations and onboard trains, security staff, staff from station shops, cleaning staff as well as other service providers.

CONSORTIUM

• Coordinator : UIC, France
• DHPol, Germany
• FS SPA, Italy
• PKP S.A., Poland
• SNCB, Belgium
• NS, Netherlands

MAIN OBJECTIVES

• Improving the protection of trains and stations against terrorist-related threats.
• Enhancing public-private cooperation and good practices in trains and stations.
• Raising security awareness of the stakeholders working in stations and trains.
• Developing awareness and guidance materials for CBRNe threat.

EXPECTED RESULTS

• Identification of rail security training gaps
• 6 security training modules
• Training of trainers
• Tools for security awareness campaigns
• Enhanced cooperation between private and public sectors

Website: https://impress-rail-project.eu/

CYRUS - Enhancing employees’ cybersecurity skills for better protection against cybersecurity attacks

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101100733.

CONSORTIUM

• Coordinator: DEEP BLUE S.R.L., Italy
• CEFRIEL, Italy
• STICHTING VU, Netherlands
• SILENSEC LTD, Cyprus
• POLISH PLATFORM FOR HOMELAND SECURITY, Poland
• EIT MANUFACTURING, Germany
• ITALIENISCHE HANDELSKAMMER FUR DEUTSCHLAND, Germany
• UNION INTERNATIONALE DES CHEMINS DE FER (UIC), France
• EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR WELDING JOINING AND CUTTING, Belgium
• LITHUANIAN INNOVATION CENTRE, Lithuania
• UNIVERSITATEA SPIRU HARET, Romania

AIMS

This project aims to propose a novel training program to develop a cybersecurity innovation DNA and support companies in transport and manufacturing to respond to and mitigate cybersecurity threats and attacks.

Starting from the analysis of current needs and future cyber threat scenarios the project aims to create personalized cybersecurity training and assessment methodology for employees and professionals in the two sectors.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

• Assess SME cyber posture: Field studies help understand SMEs’ needs to tailor trainings
• Develop novel training system: Training tools that are cost-effective, flexible and available on the job
• Set new standards: Build a robust innovation DNA on cybersecurity in European organizations
• Upskill staff: Boost cybersecurity competencies to better protect companies
• Raise awareness: Foster a general increase in knowledge and cybersecurity awareness
• Personalized training: Provide training solutions that are customized for different roles
• Added value for rail

The EU-funded project CYRUS will bring added value to the rail industry by enhancing cybersecurity measures and promoting a culture of cybersecurity. With the increasing risk of cyberattacks due to digital transformation, the project will raise awareness for cyber threats, reduce the effects associated with cyberattacks, and provide tailored training to mitigate cyber risks within the rail industry.

By offering novel training systems, using innovative methods for training implementation, and providing virtualization-dedicated cyber-range simulations, CYRUS will upskill staff, boost cybersecurity competencies, and develop a robust innovation DNA on cybersecurity in European organizations. 

Website: https://research.dblue.it/cyrus-project/

ODYSSEUS - Unobtrusive technologies for secure and seamless border crossing for travel facilitation

ODYSSEUS has received funding from European Union’s Horizon Europe Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement N°101073910.

The project is on-going

DURATION

1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025

CONSORTIUM

• Coordinator: Software Imagination & Vision SRL (SIMAVI), Romania
• Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer (UIC), France
• Vision Box – Soluções de Visão Por Computador SA (VSIB), Portugal
• Quadible LTD (QBE), Greece
• Telesto Technologies Pliroforikis kai Epikoinonion EPE (TEL), Greece
• Rapiscan Systems Limited (RAPI), United Kingdom
• Acceligence LTD (ACC), Cyprus
• SquareDev (SQD), Belgium
• Thales Czech Republic SRO (THALES), Czechia
• Istituto di Sociologia Internazionale di Gorizia (ISIG), Italy
• Inspectoratul General al Politiei de Frontiera (RBP), Romania
• Glavna Direktsia Granichna Politsia (CDBP), Bulgaria
• Ministerstvo Vnutra Slovenskej Republiky (BBA), Slovakia
• Inspectoratul General al Politiei de Frontiera al Ministerului Afacerilor Interne (IGPF MAI), Moldova

AIM

The ODYSSEUS European project aims to enhance the experience of border crossing for travelers and border authorities’ staff while keeping secure and tracking the movements across external water and land borders of the EU. This initiative aims to protect passengers’ fundamental rights while promoting the security and integrity of the European space by minimizing unauthorized cross-border movements of people and goods.

ODYSSEUS also intends to optimize the safety of customs and supply chain by improving the prevention, detection, deterrence, and fight against crime involving goods flows across EU external border crossing points and through the supply chain, reducing disruption to trade flows.

OBJECTIVES

• DESIGN and DEVELOP a unifying platform that enables seamless, fully non-stop border crossing in a highly secure manner, assisting LEAs with automated, reliable and accurate border checks, while improving the travelling experience for EU citizens in a privacy-preserving way.

• ADVANCE the identification and control capabilities of Border Authorities through robust and reliable identity verification mechanisms introducing an EU mobile (virtual) passport protected by continuous behavioural authentication.
• IMPROVE border control checks without stopping cargos and vehicles through safe, unobtrusive and portable screening based on X-ray backscatter technology, assisted image processing and Al based data analytics.

• VALIDATE the effectiveness of the proposed ODYSSEUS platform through its demonstration in real-life environments with the active engagement and training of security practitioners in two diverse landscapes and various operational environments (inside a train, on the road, onboard a ship in a port area).

• SPEED UP the rapid uptake by relevant security stakeholders of the ODYSSEUS innovations through wide communication, scientific dissemination and targeted commercial exploitation activities coupled with contributions to relevant standardisation bodies.

ADDED VALUE FOR RAIL

• This project is going to offer a comprehensive framework for improving border checks performed by authorities while also making travel easier for citizens who will be identified through multi-behavioral and biometric mechanisms which will make crossing borders quicker and simpler.
• Furthermore, an innovative luggage and baggage check will allow citizens’ vehicles and cargo vessels to be remotely checked for goods on the land border, speeding up border check processes in a safe and trustworthy manner. The ODYSSEUS platform will run in both land and water environments, in a road, in a port, and in a train.
• ODYSSEUS will be tested, evaluated, and showcased in three real operational scenarios.
• ODYSSEUS Project results will be disseminated through the UIC Rail Security Hub, an online platform where users will be able to easily retrieve information on security solutions, provide inputs and share comments and operational experiences.

WEBSITE: https://odysseusproject.eu/

SAFETY4RAILS - Data-based analysis for SAFETY and security protection, FOR detection, prevention, mitigation and response in trans-modal metro and RAILway networkS

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 883532.

DURATION

1 October 2020 - 30 September 2022

CONSORTIUM

The SAFETY4RAILS Consortium is led by Fraunhofer and composed of 31 partners from 13 different countries (Germany, France, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Israel and Netherlands).

They represent railway operators, railway infrastructure managers, research centres, academia and industry suppliers and bring a range of complementary skills required for this multidisciplinary project.

SAFETY4RAILS AIM

Railways and Metros are safe, efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly mass carriers, and they are becoming even more important means of transportation given the need to address climate change.

However, being such critical infrastructures turns metro and railway operators as well as related intermodal transport operators into attractive targets for cyber and/or physical attacks.

The SAFETY4RAILS project will deliver methods and systems to increase the safety and recovery of track-based inter-city railway and intra-city metro transportation.

It addresses both cyber-only attacks (such as impact from WannaCry infections), physical-only attacks (such as the Madrid commuter trains bombing in 2014) and combined cyber-physical attacks, which an important emerging scenario are given increasing IoT infrastructure integration.

When an incident occurs during heavy usage, metro and railway operators have to consider many aspects to ensure passenger safety and security. SAFETY4RAILS will improve the handling of such events through a holistic approach.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate with end-users the SAFETY4RAILS Information System (S4RIS) - an ethically conform module platform supporting rail/metro operators (together with their partners and customers) to increase resilience of multimodal transport infrastructure, specifically for combined cyber-physical threats, through:

• Identification, focus: risk assessment, risk management strategy, simulation, asset management
• Protection, focus: awareness and training, resilient networks and systems, protective technology, cost-effectiveness
• Detection, focus: anomalies and events, continuous automatic monitoring
• Respond, focus: mitigation, analysis, communications, response planning, simulation, decision support
• Recover: Communications, recovery planning

ADDED VALUE FOR RAIL
S4RIS will support managers of railways, metros, and other critical infrastructures

• By identifying critical components in railway systems regarding combined cyber-physical hazards, which are addressed separately;
• By developing strategies and provide decision making support to overcome weaknesses;
• By decreasing possible impact caused by failures in critical components based on past experiences to foresee possible future threats.

Website: https://safety4rails.eu/

PROACTIVE - PReparedness against CBRNE threats through cOmmon Approaches between security praCTItioners and the VulnerablE civil society

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 832981.

DURATION

1 May 2019 - 31 June 2022

CONSORTIUM

Coordinator: UIC Security Division
Partners:

• CBRNE Ltd (CBRNE), United Kingdom
• Population Protection Institute (PPI – Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic), Czech Republic
• Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), Germany
• Umea Universitet (UMU), Sweden
• Deutsche Hochschule der Polizei (DHPOL), Germany
• Rinisoft Ltd (RINISOFT), Bulgaria
• West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (WMP), UK
• Eticas Research and Consulting SL (ETICAS), Spain
• State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU), Ukraine
• Department of Health – Public Health England (PHE), UK
• State Police of Latvia (SPL), Latvia
• An Garda Síochána – National Police Force Ireland (AGS), Ireland
• Forsvarets Forskningsinstitutt (FFI), Norway
• Komenda Główna Policji (NPH), Poland

PROACTIVE AIM

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and explosive (CBRNe) incidents can have a high impact on society. The main goal of the PROACTIVE project is to enhance preparedness against and response to a CBRNe incident through a better harmonisation of procedures between various categories of practitioners, and a better understanding of the needs of vulnerable citizen groups.
A Practitioner Stakeholder Advisory Board (PSAB) and a Civil Society Advisory Board (CSAB) have been created and are under continuous expansion. The project activities include systematic reviews, surveys, focus-groups, workshops and three field exercises (jointly with project eNotice) in which the PSAB and CSAB will be engaged.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

• IDENTIFY behavioural issues associated with responding to a CBRNe incident and potential shortcomings in existing practitioner procedures and tools with respect to vulnerable groups.
• IMPROVE real-time communication and collaboration with the use of new tools such as mobile apps for better situational awareness and better response coordination.
• TEST combinations of selected tools in joint field exercises which deliberately involve a diverse population that encompasses vulnerable citizens and non-trained staff.
• PROVIDE human-centred recommendations for EU standards concerning the integration of CBRNe technologies and innovations that are better adapted to the needs of all citizens.

ADDED VALUE FOR RAIL

• PROACTIVE will enhance CBRNe preparedness & response from a human factor point of view, for e.g. the interaction between rail stakeholders, security practitioners (e.g. LEAs) and highly trained CBRNe first responders and members of the public, including vulnerable categories such as passengers with reduced mobility
• PROACTIVE will carry out 3 joint field exercises (one per year in a different country), where the railway environment is a priority setting, leading to improved cooperation, adapted SOPs, better training principles, etc. for rail stakeholders
• PROACTIVE will provide toolkits for both practitioners and citizens, comprising validated pre-incident public information materials on CBRNe, practical web collaborative platform to foster cooperation and a new CBRNe compatible disaster app adapted to various vulnerable citizen categories

PROACTIVE Project results will be disseminated through the UIC Rail Security Hub, an online platform where users will be able to easily retrieve information on security solutions, provide inputs and share comments and operational experiences.

WEBSITE: https://proactive-h2020.eu

SHERPA - Shared and coHerent European Railway Protection Approach

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Internal Security Fund Police under the grant agreement Nr 815347

DURATION

1 November 2018 - 31 October 2020

CONSORTIUM

• Leadership: UIC
• Partners:
  • DB (Germany)
  • FS (Italy)
  • PKP (Poland)
  • SNCB (Belgium)
  • SNCF (France)

SHERPA AIM
Terrorist attacks carried out in the latest years showed an alarming increase of indiscriminate violent actions carried out against civilians gathering in public spaces.
Railways, due to their inherent nature of open systems and critical infrastructures, need solid layers of protection as they might be a target for such attacks.

SHERPA aims to improve the overall protection level for stations and trains in Europe against terrorist attacks by filling the current knowledge gaps about the phenomenon and implementing multiple synergistic actions towards the relevant stakeholders.

MAIN OBJECTIVES:

• Enhancing cooperation on terrorism-related threats at European level among rail companies and between them and the relevant authorities.
• Promoting a coherent approach to rail security across Europe and reaching a fair balance between security needs and ethical and legal aspects.
• Raising awareness on the terrorist threat in all its already known and potentially emerging forms by collecting, validating, enhancing and sharing most up-to-date knowledge and know-how.
• Helping decision makers to identify and implement the most effective security solutions in the technical, organizational and human factor domains for protecting persons, stations and trains against terrorist threats.
• Fostering railway business development by improving the protection levels of stations and trains and, consequently, the security perception among the general public.

ADDED VALUE FOR RAIL

• SHERPA will identify and assess terrorism-related threats potentially affecting the railway sector at both European and national level, with a focus on the emerging ones such as insider threats and misuse of new consumer technologies. It will raise awareness on the relevant issues and allow stakeholders to improve their risk assessment and crisis management strategies and procedures.
• SHERPA will build a coherent railway security approach in Europe by creating a comprehensive international knowledge base and maintaining over time a set of practical security solutions to provide end-users with pre-processed, synoptic information that is both useful and useable directly.
• SHERPA will foster the improvement of new tools and methods for effective communication with the public of transport users, raising awareness and promoting a fair and ethical model of shared and participative security in stations and trains.
• SHERPA will produce a wide range of outputs addressing both management and operational areas such as guidelines, recommendations and practical tools, and deliver a comprehensive set of events on different levels including conferences, workshops and international practical trainings.

SHERPA Project results will be disseminated through the UIC Rail Security Hub, an online platform where users will be able to easily retrieve information on security solutions, provide inputs and share comments and operational experiences.

WEBSITE: https://sherpa-rail-project.eu

SAFER-LC - SAFER Level Crossing by integrating and optimizing road-rail infrastructure

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 723205

DURATION

1 May 2017 - 30 April 2020

CONSORTIUM

17 partners from 11 countries

• Leadership: UIC
• Partners: VTT (Finland), NTNU (Norway), IFSTTAR (France), FFE (Spain), CERTH-HIT (Greece), TRAINOSE (Greece), INTADER (Turkey); CEREMA (France), Geoloc Systems (France), RWTH (Germany), UNIROMA3 (Italy), Commsignia (Hungary), IRU (Belgium), SNCF (France) DLR (Germany), UTBM (France)

SAFER-LC Aim
Over the past few years, there is one person killed and close to one seriously injured
every day on level crossings. Therefore, SAFER-LC aims to improve safety and minimize risk by developing a fully-integrated cross-modal set of innovative solutions and tools for the proactive management and design of level-crossing infrastructure.

Main objectives

• develop innovative solutions to enhance the safety of level crossings for road- as well as rail-users.
• demonstrate how these new technological and non-technological solutions can be integrated, validate their feasibility and evaluate their performance taking into account, the level crossing user’s perspective and behaviour.
• deliver a bundle of recommended technical specifications, human processes and organizational and legal frameworks for implementation.
• develop a toolbox accessible through a user-friendly interface which will integrate all the project results and solutions to help both rail and road managers to improve safety at level crossings

Added value for rail

• SAFER-LC will combine state-of-the-art safety monitoring systems and advanced mobile communication technologies, including the use of CCTV and cooperative communications to develop innovative solutions.
• SAFER-LC will develop a “human factor” methodological framework based on existing data sources and analytical tools that will be used to evaluate the efficiency of LC layouts and safety measures from the users’ point of view.
• While each solution will by itself mark an advance in its own field of application, the significant step forward will be achieved when the technologies are integrated and combined into one road-rail anti-collision warning system.
• SAFER-LC will provide recommendations on technical specifications, human processes but also on the organizational and legal framework when implementing the proposed solutions.
• The most relevant and practical information collected and produced during the project SAFER-LC will be available publicly in the SAFER-LC toolbox. The content will be assembled in several stages, with systematic evaluations at each stage by experts from inside and outside the consortium.

Website: https://safer-lc.eu

CYRAIL - CYbersecurity in the RAILway sector

CYRail project has received funding from the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 730843 addressing the topic "Threat detection and profile protection definition for cybersecurity assessment.

Duration

1 October 2016 - 30 September 2018

Consortium

6 partners from 5 countries (DE, FR, PT, ES, SE) :

• Leadership: EVOLEO Technologies LDA ,Portugal
• Partners:
  • Jakintza Lanezko Ikerkuntza Investigación Universidad Empresa, EUSKOIKER, Spain
  • Fortiss GmbH, Germany
  • International Union of Railways, UIC, France
  • AIRBUS Defence & Space, France
  • ATSEC Information Security AB, Sweden

CYRAIL project Objectives

The main technical objectives are:

• To perform an exhaustive cyber security assessment of the Railway systems focusing on the most critical railway services, zones and communications
• To deliver a taxonomy of threats targeting rail management and control systems capable of classifying, describing and analysing cyber-attack threats;
• To assess and select innovative rail management systems attack detection techniques;
• To specify countermeasures and mitigation strategies for improved quality levels;
• To describe resilience mechanisms for operational safety;
• To specify protection profiles with evaluation of assurance levels.

Description

Railway infrastructures are moving towards more intelligent, connected, usercentric
and collaborative systems. While they bring many advantages for the
industry and users, they also pose new opportunities for cyber-criminals and
terrorists.

In this context, CYRAIL is a collaborative project funded by the European
Commission as part of the call for proposals under the Shift2Rail programme for
Rail Research and Innovation (R&I), addressing the topic “Threat detection and
profile protection definition for cybersecurity assessment”.

An analysis of threats targeting railway infrastructures will be developed as well
as innovative, attack detection and alert techniques. Adapted mitigation plans and
countermeasures will be defined, taking into account their potential impact on
operations. Protection profiles for railway control and signalling applications will be
delivered to ensure security by design of new rail infrastructures.

Benefits for rail
CYRAIL will have a significant impact on enhancing the operational security level of the different rail segments and the robustness of the railway information, control and signalling sub-systems.
With the challenge of boosting innovative and cost-efficient technologies and system for railway signalling, traffic control and automation with an ever increasing reliance on communications technologies, CYRAIL will contribute to the prevention of cyber-attacks, improving the operational security level of the different rail segments

Website: https://cyrail.eu

BODEGA - Proactive Enhancement of Human Performance in Border Control

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grand agreement No653676

Framework of Bodega
BODEGA (BOrDErGuArd) is a three-year research project selected in the EU’ Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - Horizon 2020 within the topic BES-14-2014: Ethical Societal Dimension, Human factors in border control - Proactive Enhancement of Human Performance in Border Control.
The aim of the project is to build an expertise at the European level about Human Factors at border lines in a way to enhance its efficiency without side effects to the end users (border control agents and managers and land, air and maritime travellers).

BODEGA project Objectives

The main objectives are:

• to investigate and model Human Factors in border control to provide innovative socio-technical solutions for enhancing border guards’ performance of critical tasks, support border management decision-making, and optimize travellers’ border crossing experience.
• to develop a PROPER toolbox which integrates the solutions for easy adoption of the BODEGA’s results by stakeholders in border control. PROPER toolbox which will integrate ethical and societal dimensions to enable a leap of border control towards improved effectiveness and harmonisation across Europe.

Duration
June 2015: Starting of the project for a duration of 36 months.

Consortium:
Leadership: VTT (Technical Research Center of Finland)
Fourteen partners from seven European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Spain, Finland, Greece and Italy): CEA, AIT, Thales, UIC, CEIS, University of Namur, ATOS, Zanasi & Partners, Ubium, Happywise, Hellenic Border Guard, Finnish Border Guard

Involvement of UIC security divison for rail
BODEGA has made the strong choice to include several important end-users, each of them being representative of the different types of border crossing which can be met in Europe: railway borders out of the Schengen area, maritime borders and their specificity in detection of goods, road borders and air borders in the Schengen area.

Within this framework, the UIC security division role will be to represent the railways in the management of the constraints related to border control, implement railway field studies and disseminate the results to the members.

This project is important for the rail sector since it will contribute to improve the efficiency and attractiveness of rail transport by facilitating the flow of regulars travelers and speeding up border crossing for regular travel saving time for these travelers.

Website: https://bodega-project.eu

CIPRNET - Critical Infrastructure Preparedness and Resilience Research Network

Framework
CIPRNet is a research project in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7-SEC-2012.7.4-2: Networking of researchers for a high level multi-organisational and cross-border collaboration.), 5th transport call published in July 2011.

CIPRNET project Objectives

The objectives are:

• to implement new capabilities for supporting more effective responses to disasters that affect or originate from multiple CI. In particular, create added-value decision-support capabilities for national and multi-nation emergency management and CI owners based upon integrating technologies available at CIPRNet partners.
• to support the secure design of Next Generation Infrastructures, demonstrate timely, actionable, risk-informed CIP analyses and strategies for au-thorities (both nationally, cross-border, and EU-wide) and CI owners.

Description

The Critical Infrastructure Preparedness and Resilience Research Network (CIPRNet) will establish a Network of Excellence in Critical Infrastructure (CI) Protection R&D for its stakeholders.

CIPRNetwork will provide concrete and long-lasting support from the CIP research com-munities to the initial audience, enhancing their preparedness for CI-related emergencies, and provide knowledge and technology to other stakeholders for improving the understanding and mitigation of the consequences of CI disruptions.

Duration

1 March 2013 - 28 February 2017

Consortium

13 partners from 8 countries (BE ,CA, CH, DE, FR, IT, NL, PL)
Leadership: Fraunhofer (Germany)
Partners: ENEA (Italy), TNO (Netherlands), UIC (France), CEA (France), JRC (Italy), UCY (Cyprus), UTP (Poland ), UCBM (Italy), UBC (Canada), ACRIS (Switzerland)

Benefits for rail

CIPRNet will reinforce and extend the existing cooperation and integration of the CIPRNet core partners and will turn it into a long-lasting integration.

The CIPRNet consortium represents experiences with over sixty CIP-related research projects from all of the major EU funding lines. This constitutes an unprecedented assembly of excellence and top expert knowledge in the CIP research area.

In CIPRNet UIC is an end-user in the railway infrastructures sector. Additionally, UIC will actively contribute to dissemination activities to its members, within CIPRNet, and more. UIC will also add end-user perspectives from the railway transport domain on the joint research activities, the VCCC, and the definition of realistic scenarios. UIC will host one of the CIPRNet workshops with end-users.

Website: https://ciprnet.eu

PREDICT - PREparing for the Domino effect in crisis siTuation

Project Summary:

This summary is focused on the interests from the UIC-Members and gives them an overview about the main aspects and results from the PREDICT project. Detailed information and further material can be found on the website www.predict-project.eu.

Framework

PREDICT is a research project in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7-SEC-2013.4.1-2 “Better understanding of the cascading effect in crisis situations in order to improve future response and preparedness and contribute to lower damages and other unfortunate consequences”), 6th transport call published in July 2012

Description

The aim of the PREDICT project is to provide a comprehensive solution for dealing with cascading effects in multi-sectoral crisis situations covering aspects of critical infrastructures. The PREDICT solution will be composed of the following three pillars: methodologies, models and software tools. Their integrated use will increase the awareness and understanding of cascading effects by crisis response organisations, enhances their preparedness and improves their response capability to respond in case of cascading failures.

PREDICT project will start from a deep analysis of recent cases (over 8500 incidents worldwide), which will be accompanied with scenarios of potential crisis. Project partners will set up a generic approach (common framework) to prevent or mitigate cascading effects which will be applied in selected cases agreed with end-users. As modelling each phenomenon separately in a specific environment is not effective, PREDICT project will propose cohesive and comprehensive models of dependencies, cascading effects and common m ode failure which will include causal relations, multi-sectoral infrastructure elements and environment parameters, as well as the human factor aspects.

Duration

1 April 2014 - 31 March 2017

Consortium

Leadership: CEA (France)
Partners: , Fraunhofer (Germany), TNO (The Netherlands), VTT (Finland), CEIS (Belgium), ITTI(Italy) ,Thales Netherlands, VRZHZ (the Netherlands), SYKE (Finland) and UIC (France).

Benefits for rail

PREDICT will deliver software tools bundled in PREDICT Incident Evolution Tool, which will consist of two core components: a Foresight and Prediction Tool (for simulation of the evolution of cascading effect and impact on multi-sectoral dependencies) and a Decision-Support Tool (for determining the best course of action and to calculate the risk associated with them).

The high-quality of the developed solutions will also be assured by the strong involvement of end-users in the project. End-users will intervene at three levels: as partners of the consortium, as members of the Advisory Board, and representatives from relevant organisations across Europe invited to regular workshops.

Website: http://predict-project.eu

PROTECTRAIL - The Railway-Industry Partnership for Integrated Security of Rail Transport

Description:
Protectrail is a research project in the field of security, proposed in the framework of the seventh programme for research and technological development (Call for Proposals for Security Research (FP7-SEC-2009-1) published on 3 September 2008.
The task is to develop an integrated system to improve the security of rail transportation through better protection of railways and trains, and to reduce disparity in security between European railway systems. This will include the immunity of signal and power distribution systems against electromagnetic terrorism, the detection of abnormal objects on or under ballast; clearance of trains before daily use; control of access to driver’s cabin, detection of unauthorised driver; new methods/tools to isolate and secure luggage; as well as a study and tools to reduce disparity of European railway systems’ security. The action will demonstrate the potential of the European rail transportation systems for improved protection and homogeneity.

Duration:
1 September 2010 - 30 June 2014

Consortium:
Leadership: ANSALDO (ASTS – IT)
29 partners (BE, DE, FR, IT, IL, LT, NL, PL, SK, TR, UK)

• Industry: Alstom, Bombardier, Morpho, Smiths, Thales, TNO…
• Research institute: CEA, Eppra, Kingdom University, SODERN,…
• Rail companies : IK, LITRAIL, PKP PLK, RFI, SNCF, TCDD, ZSSK
• Associations : UIC, UNIFE

Benefits for rail:
The ProtectRail project offered us the opportunity:

• To get state-of-the-art of latest security technologies
• To study applicability to railway infrastructure
• To provide the industry with railway recommendations & definition of needs
• To bring the “operational” point of view and to enhance accuracy between industry developments and railway needs
• To obtain funding to study some existing and potential railway security issues

Website: http://protectrail.eu

RESTRAIL - Reduction of suicides and trespasses on railway property

Framework:
RESTRAIL is a research project in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7-SST-2011-RTD1), call transport published on 20 July 2010 (Budget call: 26 millions Euros)

Description of work
The aim of the RESTRAIL project is to reduce:

• the occurrence of suicides and trespasses on railway property and
• the costly service disruption these events cause,
  by providing the rail industry with an analysis and identification of cost-effective prevention and mitigation measures.

The project starts by identifying the state of the art of best practices and research findings (inside and outside Europe) combined with an analysis of factors (internal to railways or external such as media communication) influencing the occurrence of suicides and trespasses and their consequences, based on official data sources and other collected data. This work will consider hotspots and other high risk access points such as level crossings, station platform ends and bridges.

This is followed by an assessment of existing countermeasures (technical and soft) for reducing suicides, preventing trespasses and mitigating the consequences on rail operations. Attention will then be given to the development of new approaches particularly those involving soft measures. The project will demonstrate some selected measures in order to evaluate the findings and finally develop recommendations and guidelines.

This project is led by railways since it is a rail related topic which aims to answer the concerns of the rail industry. However an essential feature of the project is the involvement of a wide range of relevant professional expert knowledge in the areas of human science and health, law enforcement, emergency services, education and social services, media and communication, road and rail. This will ensure the project output is of practical use to all who can be involved with suicides and trespasses.

The final outcome will be a toolkit, accessible through a user friendly interface (for consultation and continuous update) in order to support the decision-makers in taking practical steps to reduce suicides and trespasses and to mitigate the consequences once an event occurs.

Added value:

• Multi-disciplinary and multi-national expertise of the consortium partners and advisory group members
  The rail stakeholders-oriented results with their strong involvement
• The evaluation of existing measures in the rail environment and their conditions of success
• field tests of some selected measures which will demonstrate their efficiency
• Availability of a set of recommendations and tools for decisions makers all over Europe taht will make them aware of the problems and the related solutions.
• Broad dissemination of a toolbox containing the most efficient measures through conferences and workshops organised by UIC at international level and also by the partners at national level : a specific focus on decision makers will be a guarantee of efficiency

Duration:
1 October 2011 - 30 September 2014

Consortium:

• 17 partners from 12 countries : BE, DE, ES, FI, FR, IT, IL, NL, PL, SE, TR, UK Coordination by UIC (Security division)
• UIC and 7 of its members : DBAG, FFE, IK,INFRABEL, PRORAIL, TCDD, TRAFIKVERKET
• 3 research centres : VTT (FI), CIDAUT (ES), INRETS (FR)
• 3 Universities : HMGU (DE), KAU (SE), UNott (UK),
• 3 industries : ASTS (IT), MTRS3(IL), NICE (IL)

Advisory group:
SNCF, NETWORK-RAIL, RAILPOL, MOSTRA (communication agency), PTFE (Spanish railway technology platform), OSPI project, HIT, Madrid metro, Spanish general direction of traffic…

Coordinator: UIC, 16, rue Jean Rey – 75015 Paris – France

Contact: Ms Marie-Hélène Bonneau : bonneau at uic.org

Website:

• http://restrail.eu
• http://restrail.eu/toolbox/

SECRET - SECurity of Railways against Electromagnetic aTtacks

Framework:
SECRET is a research project in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7-SST-2011-RTD1), call transport published on 20 July 2010

Technical content / scope:
SECRET addresses the protection of railway infrastructure against EM attacks. Railway infrastructure is an attractive target for EM attacks, because of its familiarity and ease of access, with extended economic and security consequences.

Today, the European rail network is evolving to harmonize the management system. This is reflected by new integrated technologies, adequate procedures and centralization of command centres. The new technologies facilitate the implementation of a harmonized system and improve the network competitiveness.

However, they are also highly vulnerable to EM attacks (HPM and EMP). Railway actors fear this growing EM vulnerability and have no knowledge on the extent and severity of consequences.

The risk of EM attacks is also increasing due to the higher use of interoperable systems (command/control, information systems). The harmonization of the European railway network results in a harmonized EM vulnerability. Thus, a device to generate EM attacks will have the same impact anywhere in Europe, facilitating the implementation of simultaneous EM attacks.

Meanwhile, with the proliferation of wireless systems, access to radiated emission equipment is radically democratized, which facilitates the manufacture of EM interference transmitters able to disturb the technologies used for management of the railway network.

Consortium

1. (Coordinator) IFSTTAR (France)
2. ALSTOM TRANSPORT S.A. (Belgium)
3. Fraunhofer Institute IAIS Germany)
4. Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
5. SNCF (France)
6. TRIALOG (France )
7. UIC (International)
8. University of Liege, Institut Montefiore (Belgium)
9. University of the BasqueCountry (Spain)
10. ZANASI Alessandro Srl (Italy)

Duration
1 August 2012 - 30 November 2015

UIC Role

• Expression of end user to needs for the whole rail sector
• dissemination of the results among its members - Management of classified data

Website: https://secret-project.eu

GRAFFOLUTION - Awareness and Prevention Solutions against Graffiti Vandalism in Public Areas and Transport

Framework
GRAFFOLUTION is a research project in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7-SEC), 6th transport call published in July 2012.

Duration
31 March 2014 - 28 February 2016

Consortium
Leadership: SYNYO GmbH, an SME based in Vienna, Austria
Partners: University of Barcelona (Spain), University of Arts London (UK), Sine –Institute gGmbH (Germany), Ferroccarrills de La Generalitat de Catalunya, London Borough of Islington and UIC.

Involvement of UIC security divison for rail
UIC is involved in several WPs of the project including the collection of information on European railways graffiti prevention initiatives and best practices (WP2). On WP4, UIC is involved in demonstration activities and definition of end users’ needs and expectations for the rail sector. UIC also provides support to the dissemination (WP5) of results through the UIC members wide information network.

Website: http://project.graffolution.eu

TETRIS - Terrorists in Europe Targeting Railway InfrastructureS

Duration
1 July 2015 - 30 June 2016

Consortium
5 partners from 3 countries (BE ,FR, DK)
Leadership: CEIS (Belgium)
Partners: FRS (France) , UIC (France), CRISE (France), FHFRS (Denmark)

Project description:
TETRIS supports member States in their counter-terrorism strategies by
developing tools allowing for a better understanding of the terrorist threats
targeting railway systems and training those involved in managing the
consequences of an attack.

• The TETRIS project provides EU Member States, special transport police forces, firefighters, railway operators and private contractors, securing railway networks, with a typology of terrorist groups as well as typical scenarios of attacks, which could be used for operational and training purposes.
• TETRIS will support the users in this endeavor by developing tools allowing
  for a better understanding of the terrorist threat targeting railway systems,
  and enabling the training of the actors engaged in the management of the
  consequences of an attack.
• The end-users will be immersed in a crisis management exercise, during which the tools provided by the project will enable them to visualize the consequences of a terrorist attack and take decisions to mitigate the crisis with the support of a role-play tool.

Benefits for rail
The project will deliver the following outputs:

• A threat assessment tool enabling the analysis of operational capabilities of terrorist groups and operational components of an attack. The project compiled and analyzed a data base of 259 terrorist attacks which were perpetrated in Europe since the 1970s, to identify cases of attacks against railway infrastructure and to identify trends in the way attacks against railway infrastructures were conducted.
• Identification of typical scenarios stemming in the threat assessment tool. Based on the analysis of the gathered information, different options for the scenario of a terrorist attack were identified and validated by end-users during a workshop.
• Specifications and guidelines for the organization of an exercise. A basic exercise scenario was developed and augmented by numerous inserts allowing participating entities to perform a crisis management exercise at different levels (management level, ops center level) and in different forms (table top, staff exercise).
• A platform, allowing the simulation of the consequences of an attack. A 3D simulation tool that provides the visualization of the described scenario, in a 3D animation, showing the events and the consequences for the exercise participants.
• Building on the lessons learned, the project will deliver recommendations and a user-manual for future exercises.
• A public dissemination report of the non restricted findings of the project and an exploitation plan.