NORTH PLATTE — The nation’s largest railroad is taking greater steps to guard against terrorism, the Associated Press reported.
Among other things, Union Pacific is installing more security cameras, working with customers to track cars and cargo and developing more secure rail cars, said Louis J. Wagner, the company’s general director of chemical transportation safety.
Wagner met Monday with representatives of medical, business, government, agriculture and environmental concerns in North Platte, where Union Pacific maintains the world’s largest rail yard. One of the railroad’s main lines runs through Grand Island.
Late last week, the FBI issued a warning against possible terrorist attacks against railroads and other transportation systems. The warning was based on information obtained from al-Qaida prisoners that suggested terrorists might try to destroy bridges or key sections of railroad tracks, the FBI said.
Wagner said the railroad wants to be careful not to tip its hand as it guards against any attacks against its system.
But the Omaha-based company has developed a comprehensive terrorism risk analysis and security management plan, Wagner said. Five teams have been formed to address issues across the country.
The teams look at hazardous materials, physical infrastructure, military liaison, operational security, and information technology and communications, Wagner said.
“We are doing a lot of random checks and inspections,” Wagner said.
The goal is to make the railroad as unattractive as possible to terrorists, Wagner said.
“If the bad guy has several choices in selecting a target, we want to make it as difficult as possible for him to pick the railroad,” he said.
The railroad also is comparing employee records to FBI lists and doing extensive background checks on new employees. The company conducts security awareness briefings and looks for suspicious activity.
Railroads across the country have been on alert since last year’s terrorist attacks, including developing a security plan that includes an around-the-clock operations center linking railroad control centers with law enforcement agencies.
Actions taken at Union Pacific since the latest alert include having engineers and conductors report abnormal stops to dispatchers and having dispatchers note any other trains stopped in odd places and notify authorities if necessary, spokesman John Bromley has said.
In this era of computer hacking, the railroad also is working to enhance security of its high-tech communications.
Wagner was asked how much these measures cost.
“I don’t have a clue,” he said.