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- Since 9/11, almost nothing has been done to improve security on the nation's railroads and at rail facilities.
- While billions of federal dollars have been appropriated for increased aviation industry security, less than $100 million has been provided for rail security.
- The 2005 Teamster Rail Conference report entitled High Alert: Workers Warn of Security Gaps on Nation's Railroads disclosed a shocking failure by railroads to voluntarily improve security. For example:
- 96% of respondents reported that there was no visible rail police presence in rail yards;
- 42% reported no increase in the frequency of inspections at critical infrastructure points, and another 51% did not know whether inspections had been increased; and
- 84% reported that they had not received any security training in the 12 months preceding the survey.
- In a report entitled Public Health Consequences from Hazardous Substances Acutely Released during Rail Transit, the Centers for Disease Control noted that hazardous materials "frequently are transported over, through, and under areas that are densely populated by schools, hospitals, or nursing homes, where the consequences of an acute release could result in environmental damage, severe injury, or death."
- The Homeland Security Council released a report in July 2004 indicating that an explosion of a single rail tank car carrying chlorine in an urban area could kill up to 17,500 individuals and could require the hospitalization of nearly 100,000.
- A Naval Research Laboratory analysis projected that over 100,000 people could be seriously harmed or even killed in the first half hour after a terrorist-triggered release in a congested area, such as at the annual July 4th celebration on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
The BLET believes that any comprehensive rail security bill should address the following issues:
- infrastructure and equipment security;
- hazardous material storage, transport and monitoring;
- rail yard security;
- procedures for reporting security breaches and suspicious activities;
- security for remote control "black boxes";
- whistle blower protections;
- infrastructure improvements;
- rules covering open switches on non-signaled track;
- increase the number of railroad police;
- access to passenger and freight yards;
- nuclear waste shipments;
- public access to equipment and train movements;
- train car integrity; and
- increased funding to ensure safety and security.
We believe that rail security is primarily a federal and industry responsibility, and we continue to support federal legislation that would provide the safeguards encompassed in our model state legislation.