Passenger-rail association wants 'balanced' security measures for U.S. trains

The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) is calling on the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to come up with a "balanced" set of measures that will improve security of passenger trains and transit-rail services.

In a statement issued late last week, NARP officials said the TSA needs to recognize "the unique characteristics of rail, and recognize that what works for airports will not work for train stations." Their comments came in the wake of the averted terrorist attack on a Paris-bound passenger train earlier this month.

"Transit rail carried 6.12 billion trips in 2014 and Amtrak carried more than 31 million passengers, and policymakers must not allow the threat of terrorism bring the U.S. rail system grinding to a halt," NARP officials said.

The association's statement also called for Congress to include any additional safety and screening provisions as part of a funding package.

"The association also would like to see more funding for Amtrak's police department, funded at only $67.5 million in FY2014," NARP officials said.