Little can be done to protect rails, experts say U.S. train system 'totally vulnerable'

Commuters on the nation’s trains and subways may hear announcements today asking them to report unattended packages or suspicious behavior. In some cities, they might see more police officers than usual, or bomb-sniffing dogs. But most commuters probably won’t see any big changes in response to Thursday’s rush-hour train bombings in Madrid. Barring the development of a multibillion-dollar security system such as the one in place at the nation’s airports, experts said, there’s very little that can be done to protect the nation’s vast system of tracks, stations and rail cars from determined terrorists. The possibility that similar attacks will take place in the USA ”concerns us, absolutely,” said Asa Hutchinson, border and transportation security chief at the Department of Homeland Security. ”We do know that al-Qaeda looks to hit us and hit us hard.” Full Story