PSU Study Assesses The Security Of America’s Railroad System
Two Pennsylvania State University (PSU) faculty members have conducted a study that identifies potential threats to America’s railroad system, examines the response of the government and the rail industry to post-9/11 security responsibilities and suggests ways in which public policy and rail operations can better meet the challenges of security in an age of terrorist activity.
“Efforts to secure the nation’s rail system have been undertaken by federal, state and local government agencies and by private rail operators,” say Jeremy Plant, Ph.D., professor of public administration and public policy, and Richard Young, Ph.D., professor of supply chain management at PSU’s Harrisburg campus. “Resources currently directed to rail security are inadequate, given the potential for catastrophic loss of life or economic disruption from attacks on the rail system,” the professors say. “The growing use of rail systems for work-related passenger travel and the critical role played by freight railroads in the U.S. and global commerce make ensuring their security a matter of urgent public concern.”
Citizens for Rail Safety Inc., a national nonprofit public interest organization supported the study, titled “Securing and Protecting America’s Railroad System: U.S. Railroad and Opportunities for Terrorist Threats.” The study’s findings include:
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Traditional approaches to rail security that focus on policing and the cordoning of rail assets are inadequate to provide security against post-9/11 terrorist threats. The North American rail network is too vast and diverse to be protected simply through more policing, surveillance or anti-trespass measures.
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The responsibilities for rail security remain divided among a number of federal agencies, between federal and state agencies, between government and the private sector and between shippers, users and providers.
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The role played by the rail industry in intermodal shipments, especially those involving the movement of cargo from and through port facilities, represents a major area of risk that the railroad industry may find difficult to prevent.
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Terrorist acts directed against freight railroads pose a range of threats, from destruction of freight and infrastructure to doing harm to the economy at large.
Plant and Young also offer these recommendations in the study:
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Congress needs to pass comprehensive rail security legislation and allocate adequate financial and administrative resources to enhance current security efforts.
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Passenger operations in major urban areas should receive increased percentages of all funds expended for rail security.
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Coordination between law enforcement agencies and railroad police needs to be improved. The role played by railroads and their own police forces is a recognized strength that needs to be further leveraged and not displaced by government resources.
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The liability borne by railroads for the safety of trespassers needs to be addressed. Moreover, the penalties imposed on those trespassing need to be put on the same footing as the penalties concerning other modes of transportation.
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A congressionally established National Commission on Rail Security should be created and empowered to study the state of rail security.
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Efforts to involve the general public and the rail enthusiast should be supported and expanded.
The June report can be downloaded and viewed at the Citizens for Rail Safety Web site at www.citizensforrailsafety.org/home.php.