Passenger Trains > TSA for Trains?

The BLET with SMART is asking the FRA to increase security on trains and depots.  https://www.facebook.com/BLETNational/
What do you think about this?

GUYS...This may be a good idea, we have a growing groupof people that have too much time on their hands and are up to no good...

The TSA already provides security at some remote airports with just a few passengers per day.  Adding TSA employees to screen passengers at Amtrak stations with 10-15 passengers per day could add considerable expense to a train route.

[Edited to Add:  The House of Representatives just added weapons detectors at the members' entrance.  It hasn't gone well.  Some members are very unhappy that they have to go through what most Americans have to endure at most court houses, concert halls, etc. Unlike most Americans, some members told the officers to screw off...]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 18:19 by Lackawanna484.

Maybe a risk analysis would find that the most serious threat to employees and passengers are careless truck drivers.

 

TSA sometimes makes an appearance at Memphis for train #59.  After hanging around trainside during the stop, they leapfrog the train in multiple vehicles until the train reaches the far side of Harrison Yard, south of West Junction.

I would assume that there are other stations where this is done, Memphis is the only one I am familliar with.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Seen it here in Flagstaff too but in the past few years though!

Posted from Android

Good luck trying to stuff literally every passenger of every rail transit system through the airport-style garbage. SMART might can get away with that with their ~2000 passengers per day (pre-corona) but try doing that to Metro North, LIRR, or the NYC Subway. The morons that run brightline do it, but again, limited ridership.

If you actually take time to read the press release
you will see that their concern is focused on the Washington D.C.
area.  

Union leaders are probably only concerned about THEIR
safety on journeys to D.C. while spending YOUR dues "entertaining"
politicians. You know, lobbying, like the great job they did on RCO
and will do on one man operation.

The union's time and member's money would be better
spent on protecting jobs and working conditions instead of
"me too" type press releases.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/21 04:11 by Englewood.

i don't think a "TSA" type screening of every possible station is the answer for increased security on passenger/commuter/light rail trains.

i do think in this day and age money would be well spent on an INCREASED law enforcement presence on all passenger/commuter/light rail trains all over the country.

that could be done with BOTH uniformed or "plain clothed" officers.........

66







 

Seeking yet another technical solution to a moral problem.

I don't think there is a solution.   One terrorist.  One unattended suitcase with explosives inside left on the wrong train at the wrong time could be catrostrophic.  

Rail travelers should enjoy the same TSA probing of bindle, pockets, purses, orifices and cavities as air travelers.

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rail travelers should enjoy the same TSA probing
> of bindle, pockets, purses, orifices and cavities
> as air travelers.


Not if you have TSA pre. Best $85 I've spent in a long time.

Author: Barstool "GUYS...This may be a good idea, we have a growing groupof people that have too much time on their hands and are up to no good..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please, don't leave us hanging, what 'group?'

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Rail travelers should enjoy the same TSA
> probing
> > of bindle, pockets, purses, orifices and
> cavities
> > as air travelers.
>
>
> Not if you have TSA pre. Best $85 I've spent in a
> long time.

And traveling was worthwhie then!

I have seen police officers from both Amtrak Police the Department of Homeland Security searching the California Zephyr train at 3 different locations on the route. They do it at Sacramento, Reno and then again at Omaha where cops enter the train with K-9 units and they are searching for contraband. At Omaha, the search is more enhanced and conducted by DHS. The California Zephyr has a problem with drug traffickers using the train to illegally move narcotics across the country. Their intention is to board in California, then ride all the way to the East Coast where drugs can be sold at higher prices, but they use the train to transport the drugs instead of flying because no one gets searched to board and ride a train the same way you would at an airport. That being said, the DHS officers are trying to catch traffickers and they bring K-9 units to help search the interior of the train, both in the passenger cars, and baggage car. Essentially, one of the red flags of someone using the train to move drugs to the other side of the country is booking a ticket for a cross-country train trip at the last minute, or if the reservation was paid for using a credit card that doesn't have the same name as the passenger on the ticket. I have seen DHS officers on train #6 knocking on sleeping car doors at Omaha (at the crack of dawn that is) asking questions about their "impromptu cross-country trip" or things like where they call "home", who is on the train with them, or asking to look inside the room. I personally believe that this is a clever way to catch drug traffickers, but I only see it happen at three spots on the CZ. I think they should expand those searches to ALL long distance routes (Southwest Chief, Empire Builder, Cardinal, etc.....) because if the CZ is known to have those searches, drug traffickers will start using the other Western long distance trains to take drugs to the East Coast, AND I learned from one Amtrak Police officer that they also are searching for dangerous items, like bombs, or firearms because trains are a common target in Eurpoe for terrorist attacks. They have also come across people that were using the train to smuggle animals, or kidnap people. All forms of trafficking (drugs, animals, firearms, human, etc...) are a federal offense, but since Amtrak trains operate under federal laws and regulations and most Amtrak routes are interstate, any illegal activities that take place on or involving the train is a federal offense and that includes transporting contraband. Amtrak has tried to partner with DHS and DOT to counteract human trafficking that takes place on the train, so those police officers are also searching for victims that have been kidnapped and forced to get on the train

This would be great if done on all the long distance trains, say everywhere that there's a crew change, police officers from either Amtrak P.D, or DHS board the train and walk through all the cars searching for contraband, or traffickers involved in illegal transportation. Before the train shows up, those same cops could also screen luggage (carry on and checked) both by opening the suitcases and using metal detector wands to ensure that no one is taking anything dangerous or illegal onto the train. This would be a positive way to enhance the safety and security on Amtrak without having people walking through detectors, taking their shoes off, wait in long lines, etc..... and it would close the "train loophole" that traffickers use to carry out their illegal operations. But passengers should be made well aware of this to ensure that there are no surprises when they are on the train or at a major station. There should be announcements on the train and this should be mentioned in all Amtrak brochures, travel books, online, in the news, in the media, etc...... and that information alone may very well discourage people from even trying to transport illegal items using the train. If America wants a sophisticated rail system, that's what needs to happen.

Wow.  Apparently some would have enjoyed train rides in the Soviet Union.

The harrasment of Amtrak passengers at best is nothing but security theater.
 
For me it is one more reason to stay away from public transportation.

Nice of Amtrak to let its reservation system be used as a spy network on passengers.

Since 2000 how many rail passengers have been killed by acts of terrorism?

How many killed by engineers running stop signals or going around curves too fast?

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/21 06:53 by Englewood.

I believe a "No Ride" list was also suggested.
Too many crazies in this world now.

Posted from Android

The practice of bringing dogs on board in the hopes they might find something strikes me as very illegal.  If the police, feds etc have a reasonable suspicion based on demonstrated experience, that's a different matter.  But, just searching somebody / their room etc because they bought a one way ticket for cash, within a few days of departure, seems pretty flimsy to me.  Add in Hispanic or Black and it gets even nastier.

One thing TSA has yet to do is actually catch a terrorist. 
The parent organization (Department of Homeland Security) itself should be abolished, but that's a whole other topic.

~Joe P.
Hainesville, IL