21 February 2008

Security tightening on US trains as well as planes

A dramatic tightening of Amtrak security will bring police with automatic weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs to the US's train system, a move some say is popular.

'Although some riders were unhappy with the idea of guns on the trains, most welcomed the new security plan,' reported the New York Daily News.

Amtrak officials say the security ramp-up won't make anyone late.

The new measures mark a significant shift for Amtrak. Unlike the airlines, Amtrak has had relatively little visible increase in security since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, making it attractive to passengers eager to avoid airport hassles.

But security concerns have been mounting since the 2004 bombings of commuter trains in Madrid that killed 191 people.

Amtrak's new "mobile security teams" will go into action soon on the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, the railroad's most heavily used route.

Later they'll be expanded to the rest of the country.

US Sen. Chuck Schumer hailed the beefed-up security as "a strong step toward making the highly vulnerable rail system more secure," but also said it should be done "in a way that won't increase lines and wait times."

Amtrak chief Alex Kummant said riders will hardly notice the change.

Report by David Wilkening