Engineers Develop Bomb-Resistant Train

[mushroom25]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-21159423
Is this the way forward? or would our efforts (and money) be better directed at finding out why these events are perpetrated in the first place?

[ChillDoubt]

I too wondered about this. Whilst the researchers have the best intentions, the problem arises over when detonation takes place.
If it occurs whilst at a station/platform, those on the outside will be spared catastrophic injuries, as suffered in Madrid.
The other side of the coin is that those inside the carriage will bear the full impact of the explosion, resulting in almost no(if any) survivors.

Similar research is taking place in regards to air travel,(can't find footage on youTube but watched a programme about it recently) which is different as it is aimed at survivability of the aircraft and ultimately all on board. The train scenario is quite different.

[modeller]

This is like saying until we have stopped terrorism or any other crime for that matter we shouldn't do anything to protect ourselves in the meantime.

[youngmafbog]

Unfortunately terrorism is with us for quite a while, especially whilst we have the chattering classes and lawyers bleating about the poor terrorists 'ooman rights.

[emmie]

trouble is people are not bomb proof, unless they design something we can wear whilst travelling, that will protect us, and can't see that happening any day soon, then not sure the point.

[Old_Geezer]

Minimising damage is a good aim, but my preference would be to ensure explosives were not on board in the first place. I don't see this as an either or situation though. The thing to do is any sensible suggestion possible.

The point being that fewer people outside the carriage gets wounded, and inside there is less shrapnel flying about.

[emmie]

the only way would be to have metal or other types of detectors on all railways stations, not sure how it would work, can understand the need to do something, but as you say prevention would be best option.