Transit, Rail Systems Directed to Increase Security

The federal government on Thursday ordered local transit systems, commuter rail lines and Amtrak to beef up security, issuing directives requiring agencies to take a series of precautions and setting the stage for more extensive measures.

The order -- the first to address passenger rail under a transportation security law passed after Sept. 11 -- is a significant extension of the Homeland Security Department’s reach. Until now, the department’s Transportation Security Administration had been largely focused on protecting aviation.

“We’ve never had federal standards like this before, but we’re not having a massive takeover of transit systems,” said Asa Hutchinson, the department’s undersecretary for border and transportation security. The measures take effect Sunday.

The government’s action comes two months after 10 bombs exploded on four commuter trains in Madrid during the morning rush hour, an attack that killed 191 people and was attributed to Al Qaeda.

Hutchinson said there was no intelligence indicating that an attack against U.S. transit systems was being planned. But the measures are a logical step, he added, given a history of attacks on transit by terrorist groups in London, Tokyo and Tel Aviv.

Public transit operators said they were ready to work with federal authorities, but they complained that Washington was providing no money to meet the new requirements.

“This is an unfunded mandate,” said Greg Hull, director of operations, safety and security for the American Public Transportation Assn., a Washington-based organization that represents the industry.

Many systems have already carried out most of the measures the government is calling for, such as drafting security plans, removing trash bins and setting up procedures to deal with suspicious packages. But Hull said the cost of measures taken during times of heightened alert was of particular concern.

Transit systems have spent $1.7 billion of their own money to improve security since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The federal government has allocated $115 million, of which only $35 million has been actually received by transit operators, Hull said.

A Senate bill would authorize $3.5 billion in funding for capital expenses, such as surveillance cameras and detection systems for biological and chemical toxins. It would also provide $1.5 billion to cover increased operational costs and set aside $200 million for research to develop technology that could help thwart attacks.

“We all fly, but we move millions of people by rail and by bus,” said Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate banking panel. “You cannot concentrate all your resources in one area. This legislation is a response to the obvious.”

Earlier this month, the measure cleared the committee, which has jurisdiction over transit. Its prospects in the full Senate are uncertain.

Transit systems say they need $5.2 billion for capital improvements to increase security and $800 million a year to cover operational expenses on such items as police overtime.

Hutchinson acknowledged that the federal plan comes with no additional funding. But he said it represents only a first step -- an attempt to codify “best practices” in the industry into a federal “baseline” for security.

Local systems will have to designate security directors, submit their security plans to the government and allow access by federal inspectors. About 16 inspections of transit and rail systems are planned for the rest of this year, Hutchinson said.

Details of the federal plan have been designated as security-sensitive information and will not be made public. Unlike most federal regulations, there will be no comment period before the rules take effect. The requirements were outlined to transit operators Wednesday in a conference call.

Lt. Leo Norton, head of operations for the Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who patrol Metropolitan Transportation Authority subway and light-rail lines, said the agency was still reviewing the guidelines.

Norton said the agency had already implemented several measures, but he would give no details, citing security concerns. He said passengers would be unlikely to notice any changes.

“There’s nothing that requires airport-type security at this point,” Norton said. The MTA would try to comply with the regulations “as soon as possible,” he added.

Metrolink, the regional commuter line, already has a security plan in place and recently increased the number of deputy sheriffs patrolling its trains and stations, spokeswoman Sharon Gavin said. However, she said, the agency is considering adding more patrols in response to the new directive.

Security officials at Metrolink also are planning to meet with representatives from cities along its Southern California routes to discuss safety measures within individual train stations, she said.

Hull said many in the industry felt they were not fully consulted before the announcement. “Our involvement has been limited,” he said.

Although the federal government provides significant subsidies to build transit systems, they are locally owned and operated. Some transit authorities are concerned about turning over their security plans. “We would need to have assurances that these documents are going to be protected,” Hull said.

Separately, the federal government is continuing to experiment with ways to screen rail passengers and their baggage for explosives. Such measures are impractical for subways, but may one day be applied for Amtrak or certain commuter lines.

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Times staff writer Sharon Bernstein in Los Angeles contributed to this report.