advertisement

---

Metra soon will have a larger security presence onboard its Chicago-area commuter trains. The agency recently announced the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will begin augmenting Metra's current security forces to improve detection capabilities and introduce an "element of unpredictability," according to the transit agency.

Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams would include federal air marshals, transportation security officers, TSA-certified canine teams, surface transportation security inspectors and local/state law enforcement officers. The teams have been trained on rail safety and will coordinate their efforts with the Metra, Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway Co. police departments.

The TSA teams previously only patrolled Metra trains during large events, such as President Obama's election night rally in Grant Park.

The additional security is not a response to any specific threat, Metra said.