BTP begins six-month facial recognition pilot on the rail network

British Transport Police has begun a trial of Live Facial Recognition technology, with the first deployment taking place at London Bridge railway station this afternoon, Wednesday 11 February.

The force confirmed in November that it intended to pilot the system, and the six-month trial is now under way. Future dates and locations for all operations involving the technology will be published online in advance.

The scheme is being introduced as part of efforts to assess how facial recognition performs in a busy railway environment. BTP said the initiative has involved detailed preparation and coordination with industry and government partners.

Chief Superintendent Chris Casey, BTP’s senior officer overseeing the project, said:

“The project team have spent a significant amount of time working closely with partners including Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group to get us to this stage. I want to reiterate that this is a trial of the technology to assess how it performs in a railway setting. The initiative follows a significant amount of research and planning, and forms part of BTP’s commitment to using innovative technology to make the railways a hostile place for individuals wanted for serious criminal offences, helping us keep the public safe. The cameras work by scanning faces and comparing them to a watchlist of offenders wanted for serious offences. If there’s a match, then the system generates an alert. An officer will review it and carry out further checks to determine if the person is a suspect and if they need to take further action. People who prefer not to enter the recognition zone will have alternative routes available and images of anyone not on the authorised database will be deleted immediately and permanently. We want to make the trial as effective as it can be and we welcome your feedback. You can scan the QR codes on the posters and tell us your thoughts.”

Under the trial, cameras will scan faces within a designated zone and compare them against a pre-authorised watchlist of individuals wanted for serious offences. Any potential match will be reviewed by an officer before further checks are carried out. BTP said those who do not wish to pass through the recognition area will be able to use alternative routes, and images of members of the public not on the watchlist will be deleted immediately and permanently.

Image: British Transport Police