Securing Public Transport for Large Events: Key Lessons from UITP’s Webinar Series
Large public events place extraordinary demands on public transport systems. From international sporting tournaments and summits to concerts and cultural festivals, these moments concentrate passenger flows, increase operational pressure and heighten security risks across stations, vehicles and surrounding public spaces.
In a previous article, UITP took a deep dive into how public transport helps make large events safe and secure, highlighting the unique pressures that major events place on networks and frontline staff.
To support cities and operators in addressing these shared challenges, UITP, its Security Committee and members delivered a three-part webinar series late last year focused on the security of large events.
The series brought together public transport authorities, operators and law-enforcement partners to exchange practical experience and lessons learned from real-world events. The discussions and conclusions are now captured in a dedicated UITP Report.
Read on for a summary of the three webinars and their key themes.
Webinar 1: Understanding threats and risk at major events
The first webinar, held on 14 October, focused on mapping risks and understanding threats to public transport during major events. Speakers from Wiener Linien, MTR Hong Kong and the New Jersey Transit Police Department explored why security, safety and operations must be addressed together, rather than in isolation.
Discussions covered typical threats such as terrorism, vandalism, cyber-attacks and overcrowding, alongside the importance of structured risk assessment and crowd management. Speakers emphasised the need for phased planning across preparation, event delivery and post-event review, supported by strong multi-agency coordination, intelligence sharing and clear communication channels.
Case examples illustrated how weaknesses in coordination or capacity can have serious consequences, while also demonstrating how major events can act as learning opportunities.
The session underlined that public transport systems must remain open and accessible during major events, while also being resilient to disruption and intentional threats.
Webinar 2: Technology and training to secure mobility
The second webinar, held on 18 November, examined how technology and training can strengthen security and mobility during large-scale events. Held in hybrid format during the UITP Security Committee meeting in Rome, the session featured experiences from Metro Lisbon, HTM in the Netherlands, RATP in France and BVG in Berlin.
Speakers shared operational lessons from transporting football fans, managing citywide disruption during the NATO Summit in The Hague, deploying artificial intelligence for CCTV during the Olympic Games in Paris, and delivering security operations during UEFA Euro 2024 in Berlin.
Across these diverse contexts, common themes emerged. Early and detailed planning, supported by continuous stakeholder coordination, was identified as essential. Technology such as CCTV, communication systems, crowd monitoring tools and, where legally permitted, AI-based analytics played a key role in enhancing situational awareness.
At the same time, speakers stressed that technology must be matched with comprehensive staff training, regular exercises and clear procedures to be effective.
The session also highlighted the importance of tailoring approaches to different event types and crowd behaviours, recognising that no single model fits all scenarios.
Webinar 3: Lessons learned from real major events
The final webinar, held on 11 December, focused on lessons learned from real major events, with contributions from Transport for London and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
Tim Scott from TfL shared experiences from managing crowd and security challenges around large venues such as Wembley National Stadium, including lessons from the European Football Championships.
He highlighted the complexity of managing the space between stations and venues, the impact of multiple simultaneous events on the wider network, and the need for proportionate responses grounded in previous learning.
Deputy Chief Pearlie McKinzie from MARTA reflected on nearly three decades of experience managing large events in Atlanta. She emphasised collaborative planning across departments and external partners, the value of real-time information from frontline staff and operations centres, and the importance of structured debriefs to capture lessons learned.
Training, technology and public engagement were presented as critical enablers of effective crowd management and operational resilience.
From shared experience to lasting impact
Across all three webinars, a clear consensus emerged. Effective security for large events relies on early planning, strong coordination, continuous communication and the integration of security, safety and operations.
Public communication, staff training and regular testing were repeatedly identified as essential to preparedness and resilience.
Major events were not framed as exceptional disruptions, but as opportunities to strengthen everyday security practices through shared experience and peer learning.
Explore the full Report ‘Security of Large Events‘ for detailed insights, case studies, and conclusions from the complete webinar series.