Railroad security checks enhanced before congress

Security checks of railway luggage nationwide have been upgraded, two weeks before the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

As of Oct 20, carry-on and checked baggage by railway passengers have gone through tighter security checks in train stations. Items like edged and blunt tools, including kitchen, table and fruit knives, scissors, hammers and axes, must be checked in before boarding, according to a joint statement on Thursday by the ministries of railways and public security.

The heightened security standards will also ensure that no explosives, toxic, radioactive and infectious materials are allowed into train stations.

The tightened railway security measures came ahead of the 18th National Congress of the CPC, which opens on Nov 8.

The measures also came after at least three railway bureaus among the 16 local railway bureaus under the Ministry of Railways introduced a real-name ticket check-in system for passengers bound for Beijing, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Tibet autonomous region.

The Shanghai, Nanchang and Zhengzhou railway bureaus announced all passengers bound for the three provincial areas would have to present their IDs and tickets before boarding, media reported.

The Ministry of Railways said that a security check could also be conducted after passengers board the trains, and passengers who refuse security checks will not be allowed to board.

Yu Xuejin, a spokesman for Beijing Railway Station, said the station did not take specific measures because "security at the station is always very tight".

Rail authorities in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, have doubled the number of security personnel at the entrances and platforms of more than 70 train stations.

"We're trying to introduce the security standard of airports. Railway police are also responsible for checking carry-on luggage on the trains after passengers board," said Fan Yong, a spokesman for the city's railway police.