Department of Homeland Security Announces New Measures to Expand Security for Rail Passengers
New Directives Call for Immediate Action from Commuter, Transit and Inter-city Rail. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today issued Security Directives (SD) requiring protective measures to be implemented by passenger rail operators. The measures instruct commuter, transit and inter-city passenger rail systems to comply with requirements that range from removing or replacing station trash cans to utilizing canine explosives detection teams. The directives, which will be administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), were signed today and take effect on May 23. The directives apply to all passenger rail owners/operators. These include light rail systems, inter-city passenger rail systems such as Amtrak, commuter rail operations such as the Maryland Rail Commuter and Long Island Railroad, as well as subway systems nationwide. Full Story