FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 24, 2005
Congressman Stephen F. Lynch today reintroduced the “Rail Transit
Safety and Security Act of 2005,” legislation that would overhaul
training for rail workers, expand safety and communications systems,
and improve emergency preparedness of America’s rail networks
and personnel. The new version of the legislation incorporates new developments
in rail security technology.
“Given the hard evidence around the world of devastating attacks
on major rail systems in Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, and Madrid, and the recent
discovery of terrorists’ interest in Grand Central Station, we
cannot continue to ignore the potential for an attack here in the United
States,” said Congressman Lynch, a member of the House Subcommittee
on National Security, International Relations and Emerging Threats.
“It is time to take prudent and reasonable steps toward preventing
such attacks from occurring and also limit the extent of damage that
such attacks might cause. If we want to make a real difference on rail
security, our local and regional transit authorities need information,
coordination, and most of all resources. This bill will authorize $4.5
Billion over five years to improve rail security nationwide. Those federal
dollars will go directly to training and preparedness, communications
equipment, tunnel and perimeter protection systems, surveillance equipment,
and public awareness campaigns. Our local transit authorities can’t
be expected to secure their railways on their own.”
The Rail Transit Safety and Security Act of 2005 will:
• Require the Under Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
for Border and Transportation Security to conduct a thorough vulnerability
assessment of our rail systems, and provide recommendations for improvements,
within 90 days.
• Create 8 regional federal rail security managers, to serve as
a point of contact, to share threat information, and to work with local
officials to implement comprehensive security plans using rail security
“best practices.”
• Encourage rail employees to be partners in bringing forward
safety and security concerns, by offering comprehensive whistleblower
protections similar to those given to corporate whistleblowers under
the bipartisan Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
• Authorize $640 million for improvements to Amtrak’s Northeast
Corridor tunnels, such as better lighting, communications equipment,
fire safety, passenger egress, and ventilation
• Authorize $2.5 billion for capital security assistance grants,
to help fund tunnel and perimeter protection systems, explosives detection
systems, surveillance and communications equipment, evacuation improvements,
and emergency response equipment.
• Authorize $1.35 billion for operational security assistance
grants, to help fund training exercises, drills, public awareness campaigns,
and canine patrols.
• Authorize $50 million for the research and development of new
rail security techniques and equipment.
Lynch added, “Five times as many passengers travel by rail as
travel by airplane, and yet we’ve spent 100 times more on aviation
security than we have on rail security since September 11th. It's time
to address the vulnerabilities of America’s railways. It’s
been a year since the bombings in Madrid; we can’t wait any longer
to act.”
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