Amtrak to begin screening baggage
 

Amtrak will screen passengers' bags
By SARAH KARUSH, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 7 minutes ago

Amtrak will start randomly screening passengers' carry-on bags this week in a new security push that includes officers with automatic weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms and trains.

The initiative, to be announced by the railroad on Tuesday, is a significant shift for Amtrak. Unlike the airlines, it has had relatively little visible increase in security since the 2001 terrorist attacks, a distinction that has enabled it to attract passengers eager to avoid airport hassles.

Amtrak officials insist their new procedures won't hold up the flow of passengers.

"On-time performance is a key element of Amtrak service. We are fully mindful of that. This is not about train delays," Bill Rooney, the railroad's vice president for security strategy and special operations, told The Associated Press.


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On the Net:

Amtrak: http://www.amtrak.com/

That's funny. When has an Amtrak train ever been on time?

I've had Amtrak be over 4 hours late....and be 2 hours early. A lot of it has to do with freight traffic on the tracks. I say it's about time to add some security, you could smuggle a SAM on Amtrak and no one would notice.