(The Associated Press circulated the following story on April 3.)
NEW YORK — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday that the current wave of terrorism concerns surrounding the nation’s railways make it imperative for officials to increase security around New York City’s rail tunnels.
Clinton, D-N.Y., met with Amtrak officials and called for the passage of rail security legislation offered by her and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
The proposal would beef up safeguards for the nation’s rail system, including the six train tunnels leading into Manhattan, which are used by Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and Long Island Rail Road.
The six-year plan would spend $570 million on upgrades for better communications technology, better planning, and more security personnel at sensitive locations.
Clinton’s meeting came after the FBI and the Homeland Security Department sent a Thursday night bulletin saying terrorists might try to bomb buses and rail lines in major U.S. cities this summer.
The warning to law enforcement officials said would-be bombers could attempt to conceal explosives in luggage and carry-on bags.
In Spain yesterday, police found a bomb connected to a detonator with a 450-foot cable under the tracks of a high-speed train railway between Madrid and Seville. The device was disarmed.