The move has been planned since August last year when train passengers overpowered a man who had opened fire with a Kalashnikov on a train between Amsterdam and Paris. From October, armed guards in civilian clothes will discretely travel among other passengers, according to the RTL newspaperThe move is similar to the “sky marshals”, plain clothes officers who are based on certain flights, particularly on US airlines. Introduction of the changes took so long due to the complicated process of rewriting French law, but also the time needed to train and equip the guards. The guards will be on patrol in pairs on regional trains, TGVs, and even on commuter lines. Story continues below…In general, the presence of firearms is only to reassure other passengers, reported RTLExact figures for the number of armed guards on French trains remains unknown as yet, although Le Figaro newspaper reports that there could be as many as 3,000.

Source: The Local September 05, 2016 09:56 UTC