The leaders of two major rail unions have requested that the Federal Railroad Administration and Department of Homeland Security to address security vulnerabilities and protect riders and workers of Amtrak service in and around Washington, D.C., in the wake of the Jan. 6 violence at the Capitol. SMART-TD (the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, Transportation Division) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen seek security personnel for rail operations similar to those involved in air travel, and action to increase security and increase punishments.
A press release says the letter from SMART-TD president Jeremy Ferguson and BLET president Dennis Pierce recommends that “as a minimal standard, that any regulation granted to prohibit the interference of a train crew's duty be in line with that of aviation statutes and regulations.”
This article originally appeared on Trains