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Terrorism threat to passenger trains remains real, 20 years after ‘Sunset’ wreck
The sabotage of the “Sunset Limited” resulted in the city of Phoenix being without passenger trains. Amtrak rerouted the “Sunset Limited” from the isolated line through Phoenix to Southern Pacific’s (now Union Pacific’s) busy main freight line through Maricopa. The location of the station in Maricopa is farther out than Sky Harbor Airport!
All any terrorist would have to do is follow the lead of the graffiti vandal. These trespassers have wide open and unchallenged access to the nation’s rails. Need proof? Virtually all of 65,000 boxcars are covered in some level of graffiti. Using this as a barometer…there is no security.
The best security still seems to be the railfan. He/she may be in a position to see a terrorist preparing to set off some device, and they could call 911 if there were cell phone coverage. However, in many areas out west there is zilch coverage. Perhaps with PTC installation the railroads could also allow cell phone connections, separate from PTC connections, of course.
Well done story. I definitely see this as a threat to our growing passenger rail system. I’m glad people are writing/thinking about this, but since nobody really has a good answer to the problem part of me wants to say “shhhhhh!, the terrorists will hear you”.
I lament the overuse of the word terrorist for criminal acts that not committed by organized groups and often have no political agenda and are not intended to actually spread terror among the population in general.
Ah well, the English language evolves and as I get older, I find myself not so ready to evolve.
The FBI are confident they can solve the case: after 20 years? That’s ridiculous!
Many of these, so called, terrorists are illegal aliens, either with expired Visas or just people who have come into the country without the benefit of playing by the rules. If the borders were secure and those who shouldn’t be here are removed, there would be no threat at all. I do hope that someone who knows who wrecked the Sunset Limited, comes forward so this 20 year old wreck can be settled .
CCW.