The move could have political implications for the EU, which has the freedom of movement of people as one of its core values, as there are no border controls throughout much of the EU.
However, there are now calls for increased security on all intercontinental railways, which will have huge implications for border control points. Nathalie Pierard, a spokesperson for SNCB, Belgium’s national rail company, said "Random luggage searches will be carried out on international trains. So it might take a little time and travelers should know that boarding trains might take more time and that their luggage could be searched."
A spokesman for the European Commission, Jakub Adamowicz, told reporters that security issues would be reviewed following the Thalys train attack, with passengers having to submit to identity and security checks on some trains.
"It's a question of proportionality for each mode of transport," Adamowicz said, while remaining cautious on the question of airline-style check-ins on trans-European routes.
But French Transport Minister Alain Vidalies Told Europe 1 radio: "You have over 2 billion travelers on trains and 140 million on planes. Obvious security solutions can’t be transposed [or] it would take years to implement."
Schengen Area Soft Targets
The political implications of strengthening border checks within the EU are serious. There are 26 EU countries in what is known as the Schengen Area – a border-free zone without passport or other security checks. This lies at the heart of the EU policy of the freedom of movement of people, goods and services.
The Schengen Area was conceived in the mid-1980s, at a time when the unprecedented diaspora in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa could never have been imagined nor the spread of terrorism into Europe.
Thirty years on, some are calling for the agreement to be revisited to strike a balance between the freedom of movement and counter-terrorism measures within Europe.
