Special police force to secure French railway

The French government plans to create a special police force to secure the nation's transportation systems, following New Year's Eve violence on a suburban train. According to authorities, the rampage involved an estimated 20 to 30 youths, who robbed and sexually assaulted train travelers on a Nice-Lyon train. Responding to the violence, French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy told TF1 television that a national railway police force of 1,000 to 1,500 officers would be in place this year.