Terrorism/Security – Page 4

Teamsters: Proposed Rail Security Rules Ignore Employees’ Safety Role

December 27, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff: Dec. 12, 2006, Press Conference WASHINGTON – Proposed rules by the Transportation Security Administration ignore necessary employee training and protections against employer retaliation, Teamsters say. However, the Teamsters Union is still reviewing the rules, but so far has determined that the proposals are inadequate, according to the union. “The White House has failed again to recognize that the true eyes and ears of the rail system are its employees,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “Our members are working on the rails night and day. They know about the security lapses on the rails, yet

DHS Targets High Risk Hazardous Materials in Transit

December 16, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff: Dec. 12, 2006, Press Conference WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security is proposing new rules it says will vastly strengthen the security of the nation’s rail systems in the highest threat urban areas. The proposed rule is part of a package of new security measures that will require freight rail carriers to ensure 100 percent positive hand-off of Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) materials, establish security protocols for custody transfers of TIH rail cars in the high threat urban areas, and appoint a rail security coordinator to share information with the federal government, as well

Romney Implements Bag Inspections On The MBTA

October 14, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

BOSTON – Gov. Mitt Romney earlier this month directed the MBTA to re-institute regular random bag inspections on the public transit system in order to shake up normal routines and make it more difficult to plan and carry out a potential terrorist act. The MBTA conducted random bag searches for a limited time before and during the Democratic National Convention in 2004. “Terrorism is not a traditional criminal activity,” Romney said. “We are fighting a war against people who have as their objective the overthrow of the United States government. Given that kind of threat, we have to adjust our

Foiled Terror Plot Leads to Increased Rail Security

August 10, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

Today’s news of a disrupted terror plot quickly translated to increased security measures at rail systems nationwide.

7/11 Blasts Suspect Held in Kashmir

August 7, 2006 Wikinews

An alleged member of the Kashmiri militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba has been arrested by Indian police in connection with the July 11 train bombings in Bombay which killed 200 commuters on the city’s commuter rail network.

India Bombings Kill At Least 180

July 12, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

More than 180 people were killed July 11 in a series of bombings that government officials are calling a well-coordinated terrorist attack.

Explosive Detection Technologies To Be Tested at Jersey City’s Exchange Place Station

July 12, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with the cooperation of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), will test and evaluate security equipment and operating procedures at the Exchange Place Port Authority-Trans Hudson (PATH) Station from July 13-27. The testing is part of the Department’s broader efforts to protect citizens and critical infrastructure from possible terrorist attacks. The test represents the second phase of a rail security pilot project. In phase one, which was conducted from Feb. 6 through March 1, bags and passengers at Exchange Place Station were screened deliberately and randomly

TSA Teams With Railroads to Test Security Preparedness

December 13, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is partnering with Amtrak and three commuter railroads for a three-day pilot project to test the agency’s ability to assist State and local authorities by quickly deploying federal assets in response to a specific threat. The pilot will run from Dec. 14 through Dec. 16 and will involve Federal Air Marshals, surface transportation inspectors and TSA canine teams. Commuter railroads participating in the project are the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), SEPTA and Metrolink "In the event of an actual threat, relationships with partners like WMATA and Amtrak will be crucial for

Department of Homeland Security Lowers Threat Level for Mass Transit Network

September 1, 2005 The Cross-Tie

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Aug. 12 that the national threat level for mass transit is being reduced from Code Orange to Code Yellow. Mass Transit lines, however, vowed to remain vigilant.

Defused: Officials: Two Men Planned Subway Attack

September 15, 2004 The Cross-Tie

Two men — a U.S. citizen and a Pakistani — were arrested in late August, authorities charging them with plotting to detonate a bomb in the New York subway.