Amtrak NEC riders experience “security surge”

Amtrak Wednesday implemented a “multi-force security surge” at stations and on trains in the Northeast Corridor, which included “random passenger bag inspections at unannounced locations,” according to the Transportation Security Administration. A mix of federal, state, regional, and local officers were on patrol along the route, some accompanied by canine units.

The effort, part of Allied Law Enforcement for Rail and Transit Security (ALERT), was scheduled to improve coordination among many law enforcement and security agencies, covering roughly 150 rail stations in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

“We look forward to conducting more of these operations in the future, varying in size, timing, and location” said John Sammon, a TSA assistant administrator. TSA emphasized that the exercise was not in response to, or anticipation of, any specific security threat.