(Reuters circulated the following story by John Cawley on January 4, 2010.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. passenger rail operator Amtrak is reviewing intelligence related to the December 25 bombing attempt aboard a U.S.-bound jetliner and will increase security as necessary, the railroad said on Monday.
An internal advisory reminded Amtrak employees to be alert.
“Although there is no specific threat to Amtrak identified at this time, we will be reviewing all intelligence gathered about the present situation to heighten awareness and to augment our security presence as required,” the advisory said.
Unlike air travelers, Amtrak passengers do not undergo mandatory security screening before boarding trains.
However, the government-run corporation that carries more than 27 million people annually on more than 300 trains per day conducts random passenger and bag checks.
It has also beefed up other security measures in recent years and uses bomb-sniffing dogs randomly in stations and on trains.