Knives on a train

[Glenshiro]

If you take a long - distance train in Spain, as I did yesterday from Madrid to Leon (yes, I finally made it back to the Camino) your luggage will be X-Rayed before you are allowed to board.

Not a problem, I thought, until the security officer (actually a very nice, motherly lady) drew attention to my folding pocket knife, a souvenir of the Via Podiensis, which is illegal to carry in the UK, having a blade (slightly) longer than 3 inches, but perfectly acceptable in France and Spain. Or so I thought.

She ushered me into a booth and asked me to find the knife in my bag. After a few minutes fruitless rummaging through my belongings she took an executive decision that I was clearly harmless and told me to forget about it, but not before pointing out a small poster in the booth declaring that knives with a blade of over 6 cm were not allowed on trains. I'm not sure why. As far as I know, no-one has ever hijacked a Spanish train, but I suppose there's always a first time.

Anyway, be warned. You might not be so lucky.

I'm in Hospital de Orbigo, in the Hostal Canton Plaza, which I can recommend. My room has aircon and a fridge!

 

[malingerer]

If you take a long - distance train in Spain, as I did yesterday from Madrid to Leon (yes, I finally made it back to the Camino) your luggage will be X-Rayed before you are allowed to board.

Not a problem, I thought, until the security officer (actually a very nice, motherly lady) drew attention to my folding pocket knife, a souvenir of the Via Podiensis, which is illegal to carry in the UK, having a blade (slightly) longer than 3 inches, but perfectly acceptable in France and Spain. Or so I thought.

She ushered me into a booth and asked me to find the knife in my bag. After a few minutes fruitless rummaging through my belongings she took an executive decision that I was clearly harmless and told me to forget about it, but not before pointing out a small poster in the booth declaring that knives with a blade of over 6 cm were not allowed on trains. I'm not sure why. As far as I know, no-one has ever hijacked a Spanish train, but I suppose there's always a first time.

Anyway, be warned. You might not be so lucky.

I'm in Hospital de Orbigo, in the Hostal Canton Plaza, which I can recommend. My room has aircon and a fridge!

Have always carried my Swiss A with long blade wrapped and in the bottom of my ruck. Madrid is the only place my gear was x rayed but have always been okayed. No problems elsewhere. Its been a few years since I was in Madrid and things have probably changed. Thanks for the warning tho and buen camino.

Samarkand.

 

[MinaKamina]

As far as I know, no-one has ever hijacked a Spanish train, but I suppose there's always a first time.

The Madrid train bombings of 2004 come to mind, 193 dead and 2000 injured. Wasn't a hijack per se, but Spain has had its share of terrorism and continues to take precautions.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

The Madrid train bombings of 2004 come to mind, 193 dead and 2000 injured. Wasn't a hijack per se, but Spain has had its share of terrorism and continues to take precautions.

We took the high-speed train from Madrid to Vigo in March, and our luggage had to go through the same kind of detector that the airports use. We, too, were lectured--in our case about a pair of scissors.

I think they still take security very seriously in the wake of the Madrid bombings.

 

[linkster]

The Madrid train bombings of 2004 come to mind, 193 dead and 2000 injured. Wasn't a hijack per se, but Spain has had its share of terrorism and continues to take precautions.

FYI this documentary is on Netflix.

11M: Terror in Madrid (2022) - IMDb

11M: Terror in Madrid: Directed by Jose Gomez. The story of the worst terrorist attack in European history. Survivors and insiders recount March 11, 2004's terrorist attack on Madrid, including the political crisis it ignited and the hunt for the perpetrators.

www.imdb.com

 

[henrythedog]

If you take a long - distance train in Spain, as I did yesterday from Madrid to Leon (yes, I finally made it back to the Camino) your luggage will be X-Rayed before you are allowed to board.

Not a problem, I thought, until the security officer (actually a very nice, motherly lady) drew attention to my folding pocket knife, a souvenir of the Via Podiensis, which is illegal to carry in the UK, having a blade (slightly) longer than 3 inches, but perfectly acceptable in France and Spain. Or so I thought.

She ushered me into a booth and asked me to find the knife in my bag. After a few minutes fruitless rummaging through my belongings she took an executive decision that I was clearly harmless and told me to forget about it, but not before pointing out a small poster in the booth declaring that knives with a blade of over 6 cm were not allowed on trains. I'm not sure why. As far as I know, no-one has ever hijacked a Spanish train, but I suppose there's always a first time.

Anyway, be warned. You might not be so lucky.

I'm in Hospital de Orbigo, in the Hostal Canton Plaza, which I can recommend. My room has aircon and a fridge!

Meanwhile walk on without a bag and there’s no metal detector!

I just went on an Italian ferry as a foot passenger with hand baggage and had to be x-rayed and metal detected - meanwhile the cars and trucks just drove on.

Back to Madrid - Chamartin station - I recently buried my small legal penknife in my pack with my power pack and charging cables. Straight through.

I’m all for security; but it would be better if it were consistent.

 

[Glenshiro]

I remember the Atocha bombing very clearly, and that explains looking for explosives, but not a ban on knives over an arbitrary length. However, no point in trying to argue about it. Smile nicely and look harmless. (Grey hair helps.)

 

[Vacajoe]

Train from Santiago to Madrid in 2021: small souvenir folding knife with 3” blade confiscated when I presented it prior to the official x-ray scan.

 

[domigee]

Train from Santiago to Madrid in 2021: small souvenir folding knife with 3” blade confiscated when I presented it prior to the official x-ray scan.

They are very careful after the Madrid bombings and I quite understand it . Never to be forgotten.

 

[linkster]

In 2017 and 2018, I took a day trip to Toledo from Madrid. Both times I bought knives from Mariano Zamarano (knife maker ... now retired). These were not small knives. They were full sized hunting knives and a Templar styled dagger. I asked him about security on the train and he said not to worry about returning to Madrid, but I should send them via Correos if I was going somewhere else. He wrapped them in carboard and taped them up. On the platform at the train station, the security saw them in my bag when they scanned them. The agent pulled me aside, I showed him my receipt, and he allowed me to board the train. I am sure I was not the first.

 

[peregrina2000]

Another forum member reported on her less successful kninfe experience.

 

[McSherry]

So...my experience was not on a train, but on a bus. It was in 2019, and terrorism was a concern with knife attacks having occurred not too long before. We had just finished the Camino and were at Fatima. We were waiting in the bus station and my son and I wandered into the small shop at the bus station immediately beside the bus loading area. Much to our surprise, there was a magazine for sale with a "Fatal Attraction" article...and attached to each magazine was a nasty-looking knife! We found it humorous, if a bit unsettling that these would be sold at the entrance to the busses themselves. I will attach the photo my son took in absolute amazement.

 

[El Cascayal]

Another forum member reported on her less successful kninfe experience.

Oh yes, the person doing the X-raying was a newbie, obviously relishing and religiously following her recent training. If her working companion had been alone, he would have been lenient. It was so so high drama & unnecessary, at the Santiago RENFE, first AM train to Madrid.@Glenshiro, happy for your better outcome. It is definitely operator dependent.

 

[Mercutio]

Twice now, taking the RENFE train from Barcelona to Pamplona, my bag had to go through airport-style scanning at Barcelona Sants. I, on the other hand, did not. There was NO metal detector that I had to pass through. So nothing was said about the Swiss Army knife I had in my pocket.

 

[Annette london]

Oh yes, the person doing the X-raying was a newbie, obviously relishing and religiously following her recent training. If her working companion had been alone, he would have been lenient. It was so so high drama & unnecessary, at the Santiago RENFE, first train to Santiago. @Glenshiro, happy for your better outcome. It is definitely operator dependent.

Drama!
never seen anything like it coming through security a few weeks ago
the security were almost shoving us through physically

Three of them were examining my rucksack and I heard them saying “sharp”and “medication“ and next thing it disappeared
Literally a minute later it came through

it was only when I was unpacking a few days later that I discovered my dressings folder and a little case with antibiotics were missing
A tiny nail scissors that has gone backwards and forwards through security for years was the obvious culprit
Now although the antibiotics can be replaced …..what if this folder had contained really important medication?
These guys never even said they were taking the pouches

Slight of hand…hah!
A few pickpockets must have trained them!

 

[JabbaPapa]

One does need to be careful with the knife laws, though a Swiss Army knife type kept in your pocket is pretty much OK.

The knives liked by pilgrims that can be problematic are the Laguiole ones and larger.

 

[henrythedog]

In 2017 and 2018, I took a day trip to Toledo from Madrid. Both times I bought knives from Mariano Zamarano (knife maker ... now retired). These were not small knives. They were full sized hunting knives and a Templar styled dagger. I asked him about security on the train and he said not to worry about returning to Madrid, but I should send them via Correos if I was going somewhere else. He wrapped them in carboard and taped them up. On the platform at the train station, the security saw them in my bag when they scanned them. The agent pulled me aside, I showed him my receipt, and he allowed me to board the train. I am sure I was not the first.

Having just bought the knives and having the dated receipt; you had reasonable excuse to have them with you. It’s all very odd.

 

[linkster]

Having just bought the knives and having the dated receipt; you had reasonable excuse to have them with you. It’s all very odd.

Agreed. I was skeptical, and thought I would just not board and return to Toledo and send them if needed. Toledo has long been known for it's sword making etc. I think they had an informal agreement with security.

 

[linkster]

FYI, I had read that Mariano had retired, but it appears there website is still active.

ESPADAS MARIANO ZAMORANO

Shop powered by PrestaShop

marianozamorano.com

 

[Jeff Crawley]

2018 and I wandered on to the platform at Santiago along with others. No security guards were present at the x-ray machine.
20 minutes before the train was due we were turfed off and made to go through security. An Australian had his SAK confiscated - a lock blade wooden handled version £135! (I just looked it up so be careful.) Maybe they took it because it was a lock blade maybe they were miffed because we hadn't waited for them to come back between trains?
My titanium spork got some odd looks (I break the plastic ones too easily) but got the OK in the end.
Perhaps they feared we'd hijack the Ferrol train and take it to Coruna?

 

[domigee]

Drama!
never seen anything like it coming through security a few weeks ago
the security were almost shoving us through physically

Three of them were examining my rucksack and I heard them saying “sharp”and “medication“ and next thing it disappeared
Literally a minute later it came through

it was only when I was unpacking a few days later that I discovered my dressings folder and a little case with antibiotics were missing
A tiny nail scissors that has gone backwards and forwards through security for years was the obvious culprit
Now although the antibiotics can be replaced …..what if this folder had contained really important medication?
These guys never even said they were taking the pouches

Slight of hand…hah!
A few pickpockets must have trained them!

Where was this @Annette london ?

 

[Annette london]

Where was this @Annette london ?

Santiago airport

 

[Mycroft]

Meanwhile walk on without a bag and there’s no metal detector!

I just went on an Italian ferry as a foot passenger with hand baggage and had to be x-rayed and metal detected - meanwhile the cars and trucks just drove on.

Back to Madrid - Chamartin station - I recently buried my small legal penknife in my pack with my power pack and charging cables. Straight through.

I’m all for security; but it would be better if it were consistent.

I hear you, henrythedog. Reminds me after 9/11, the US restricted what we could carry aboard planes: simple, ittybitty tweezers were not allowed, but those big, pointy knitting needles were fine.

 

[jungleboy]

FYI, I put my bag through an X-ray machine at SdC train station this morning and no one said anything about my pocket knife.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

FYI, I put my bag through an X-ray machine at SdC train station this morning and no one said anything about my pocket knife.

It's all very much pot luck isn't it?

 

[Glenshiro]

Meanwhile walk on without a bag and there’s no metal detector!

Went through security at Ourense this morning with my Laguiole knife in my trouser pocket. No problem. There is no detector arch at any train station I have seen. You could probably stuff a claymore down your trousers and get away with it - mind you, you'd walk oddly.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

Went through security at Ourense this morning with my Laguiole knife in my trouser pocket. No problem. There is no detector arch at any train station I have seen. You could probably stuff a claymore down your trousers and get away with it - mind you, you'd walk oddly.

Not an arch, but at Chamartin, definitely a machine that all your baggage (packs, cases etc.) has to go through. This is the station for the high-speed, Madrid to Galicia.

The inspectors are less humourless than the ones in most airports; let us go with a warning about scissors or knife (I forget which) rather than confiscating.

 

[peregrino_tom]

just delete me if I'm spoiling your conversation, but every time I see this thread come up I think of Indie Music!
'Knives on a train' might be a thrashy grunge tune, or even a band. If they're a band, then they'd fit right in on this bill, which I saw on the camino, on the outskirts of Lisbon, about 10 yrs ago...

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

I took a train last month from Ourense to Madrid, my Swiss knife in my backpack was detected, there was no way I could take my knife with me, I had to leave my knife behind. My advice would be to put a knife in your trouser pocket, I was not X rated or searched myself.

 

[Glenshiro]

Not an arch, but at Chamartin, definitely a machine that all your baggage (packs, cases etc.) has to go through. This is the station for the high-speed, Madrid to Galicia.

The inspectors are less humourless than the ones in most airports; let us go with a warning about scissors or knife (I forget which) rather than confiscating.

Yes, there are x-ray machines similar to those in airports in which you have to put your rucksack, suitcase etc. Not sure if women are expected to to put a handbag through but, in any event, there is no arch through which you have to walk, which is why you can get away with anything you can carry on your person!