Focus On
80th COLPOFER General Assembly in Warsaw on 26-28 November 2025
The 80th COLPOFER General Assembly, kindly hosted by PKP PLK in Warsaw, addressed one of the most relevant themes nowadays: "Railway Security of the eastern flank of the European Union".
Significant keynote speeches by representatives of the Polish Border Guard, the SOK, FRONTEX and EU Commission's DG-MOVE provided the audience with an in-depth knowledge on operational activities performed with the aim of increasing the security and resilience of Europe's external borders.
Discussion also focused on typical railway security topics such as overhead line thefts, graffiti and the interesting "Safe Level Crossing" campaign at PLK (the "Yellow Sticker Project").
UIC and RAILPOL ensured their invaluable contribution to the success of the gathering, together with COLPOFER Working Groups progress reports.
Last but not least, the new Chief Security Officer at ÖBB presented the reactivation of the BRENNER Group, first established in 1999, with the aim of promoting and strenghtening cross-border cooperation between railway companies and authorities of Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein.
Mr. Piotr Wyborski, President PKP PLK Mr. Salvatore Iannicelli, President of COLPOFER
79th COLPOFER General Assembly & 2nd COLPOFER - RAILPOL Symposium in Pietrarsa (Naples), 18-19 June 2025
After the significant experience of the 1st COLPOFER-RAILPOL Symposium, the 79th COLPOFER General Assembly and the 2nd COLPOFER-RAILPOL Symposium were successfully held on June 18 and 19, 2025, at the National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa (Naples). During the General Assembly, the Director of Corporate Security at DB, Patrick Hennies, was elected as Vice President of COLPOFER in place of Frank Reitsma who will retire from NS soon and the Memorandum of Understanding with UITP (International Association of Public Transport) was signed. In his greeting, Secretary General of UITP, Mohamed Mezghani, emphasized that "this MoU marks a significant step in our shared mission. It represents not only our mutual commitment to strengthening cooperation but also our joint dedication to ensuring that public transport remains safe, secure, and resilient. Public transport is for everyone, and security must remain a cornerstone of everything we do in this sector, from combating terrorism to fighting graffiti and vandalism."
A warm greeting to Frank Reitsma on his retirement from NS and from COLPOFER Board
Patrick Hennies, newly elected COLPOFER Vice President
Michal Cieslik, Chair of the UITP Security Committee and Salvatore Iannicelli, COLPOFER President undersigning the MoU COLPOFER - UITP
78th COLPOFER General Assembly & 1st COLPOFER - RAILPOL Symposium in Brussels and London, 22-24 October 2024
The 78th COLPOFER General Assembly and the 1st COLPOFER - RAILPOL Symposium were successfully held in Brussels and London on 22-24 October 2024, hosted by SNCB and EUROSTAR Ltd. During the Symposium, the crucial role played by private-public partnership in the current threat scenario was highlighted by eminent speakers from EUROPOL and the European Commission DG-MOVE and DG-HOME. Topics of paramount importance for railway companies and railway police authorities ranging from the terrorist threat evaluation, the illegal migration and railway interventions after rail accidents were jointly addressed from both perspectives, the COLPOFER one and the RAILPOL one.
77th COLPOFER General Assembly in Riga, 30 - 31 May 2024
The 77th COLPOFER General Assembly entitled “Challenges for the railways as a critical infrastructure company in the current geopolitical situation” was held in Riga on 30-31 May 2024, hosted by LDz. Over the meeting the greatest challenges we all are facing in an uncertain geopolitical landscape were addressed by the members and by eminent Latvian institutional guests. The pivotal role of the railways in connecting persons and economies shall be increasingly protected against potential risks posed by recurrent threats, as well as from emerging forms of aggression through a coordinated effort and a multidisciplinary approach involving technological innovations, policy frameworks, collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as ongoing education and training for security professionals and staff.
COLPOFER - RAILPOL Agreement
On 14 December 2022, COLPOFER and RAILPOL undersigned an agreement aimed at underlining their common understanding of emerging security needs, addressing core values and responsabilities related to the role of both player at EU level, as well as outlining guidelines for future cooperation and procedures to quickly adapt to changes in the rail environment. It is a firm belief that increased cooperation between the two associations can bring enormous benefits and advantages to the real and perceived security in the EU, especially if supported by the resources and the guidance of the European Commission. Following the above-mentioned imperative, the organization of common projects have been proposed:
- Workshops/meetings between COLPOFER members and national transport/railway police;
- Joint excercises devoted to (special) police force interventions and actions of railway operators;
- Educational projects on specific topics (antisocial behaviours, terrorist attack, potentially dangerous behaviour detection, etc.);
- Action days (joint operations) with public and private entities on new topics, such as security checks on board and at stations, whose common goal is to increase the perception of passenger safety and security;
- Strategic cooperation or mutual participation in the respective statutory bodies (General Assemblies, Board, etc.).