An Intercity-Express (ICE) train is seen yesterday at the train station in Frankfurt Main, Germany. German authorities said railway security has not been stepped up, despite a media report claiming that Al Qaeda was plotting attacks on Europe’s high-speed rail network.

DPA/Berlin

Al Qaeda is plotting attacks on Europe’s high-speed rail network, German daily Bild reported yesterday, citing information from US intelligence.
According to Bild, security experts suspect that the terrorist network may be planning to plant explosives on trains and in tunnels or sabotage tracks and cables.
The report is based on information from the US National Security Agency (NSA), which Bild said monitored a conference call held a few weeks ago by top Al Qaeda operatives in which the attacks were discussed.
The newspaper said that German authorities have already responded to the threat by introducing new, inconspicuous security measures.
These include deploying plain-clothes police officers at main railway stations and along major rail lines.
The report of the alleged plot comes after the US this month issued a global travel alert due to a possible terrorist attack.
The threat prompted Washington and several of its allies to close embassies in parts of the Middle East and North Africa. The diplomatic missions have since reopened.
German authorities denied however that railway security has been stepped up.
“The security situation has not changed,” an interior ministry spokesman said. “Our security measures are already at a high level and we do not plan to increase them at the moment.”
The interior ministry said there was no evidence that the security situation on the railways had become more critical.
French officials said France has been on high alert since the July 2005 attacks on the London transport system.
French police and the army regularly patrol train stations, airports, shopping centres as well as sensitive sites, such as embassies, consulates and places of worship.
From “red”, the alert level was raised to “reinforced red” in January, after French launched an intervention against Islamist rebels in Mali.
“Reinforced red” is the second-highest alert level in the Vigipirate antiterrorist plan.
The upgrade did not involve the deployment of extra forces, but rather “increased vigilance” at all sites, the defence ministry said at the time.
Europe’s high-speed trains are operated by the national rail companies.
In Germany alone, more than 340,000 travel on the nationwide high-speed network daily.