Body scanners to check UK rail passengers for bombs

Airport-style scanning technology and x-ray machines could be introduced across the UK mainline rail network in an attempt to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks on the transport network.

The government is planning to test the increased security checks at various stations to see how viable the scanners are when faced with thousands of daily commuters and other passengers.

The first trial will be at London's Paddington station for passengers using the Heathrow Express rail link who will have to pass through a body scanner and put their luggage through an x-ray machine.

The checks will be carried out by armed police who will be instructed to reduce the number of checks if queues get too long or carry out more thorough ones if the security threat level is raised.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has yet to make a formal announcement on the plans but a source familiar with the situation told the Daily Telegraph: "Nobody knows whether the scanning equipment is going to work in that environment. We think it will but it has never been tried. If it does work it will be rolled out across major rail and Tube stations."

Other stations reported to be next in line to test the scanning technology are London's Kings Cross and Euston.

A spokesman for the DfT told silicon.com: "We keep security procedures under constant review."

In the immediate aftermath of the 7 July bombings in London the government has also said it planned to evaluate high-tech millimetre wave imaging technology that can see through clothes and detect concealed bombs and weapons on people.