Transportation security

Absence Of TSA Regulations Puts US Passenger Rail Security At Risk

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) delays in implementing rail security requirements according to a law passed nearly a decade ago may be putting the United States’ rail system, Amtrak, at risk of terrorist attack,according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (DHS OIG).

In August 2015, two American service members foiled an attack by a gunman on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris. The incident raised awareness of the vulnerability of rail systems to terrorist attacks, and prompted members of Congress to request an update on the state of rail security.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Congress passed the Public Law 110–53, Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (9/11 Act) requiring DHS, through TSA, to create a regulatory framework that addresses the threats facing the nation’s passenger rail systems. The 9/11 Act requires Amtrak to appoint a rail security coordinator, report significant security concerns to TSA, and to allow TSA to conduct inspections, among other things.