Rail-thin security

[Renew Deal]

U.S. lawmakers are pushing bills to improve railroad security

By Grant Gross, IDG News Service
August 02, 2005

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Congress has declared that it's time to focus on securing the nation's railroads. Exactly how to do that is still up for debate.

A group of U.S. lawmakers are pushing bills this year to improve rail security, saying the nation's railroads have taken a backseat to other antiterrorism funding. But rail-related trade groups are lukewarm to these initiatives because, they say, their provisions will increase costs for industry and consumers.

Six rail security bills, sharing many of the same provisions, have been introduced in Congress, but none has moved out of committee yet. Five of the six call for a rail-vulnerability assessment to be conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. DHS is tasked with making recommendations such as improving the security of tunnels and bridges and deploying surveillance equipment and weapons detection technology. The calls for more transportation security came before DHS raised the threat level to high for the nation's mass transit systems after the July 7 terrorist bombs hit London subways and a public transit bus.

The six rail security bills making their way through the House and Senate taken as a group call for the following rail security enhancements: cargo screening recommendations; DHS rail-vulnerability assessments; funding for Amtrak security improvements; money for rail-security R&D grants; training for emergency responders; tunnel improvements; and whistle-blower protections for rail employees.
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