Bloomberg blasts Amtrak gun bill

A recent amendment to the budget bill for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development will require Amtrak to revoke its post-9/11, post-Madrid bombing ban on guns in checked luggage.
Passengers were prohibited from bearing arms on Amtrak after 9/11, and the policy was tightened after the 2004 bombings in a Madrid train station. The reasoning is that if you can have a gun in your checked airline baggage, then why not on Amtrak? This took a beating from Mayor Bloomberg.

"If anyone in Congress thinks that the threat of a terrorist attack on a train has gone away, they are sadly mistaken," Bloomberg said in Penn Station, where mayors from New Jersey joined him in imploring the House of Representatives to reject a measure the Senate passed.

"This has nothing to do with the Second Amendment right to bear arms and everything to do with keeping our country safe from terrorists," Bloomberg stated.

I'm not a fan on this provision so I hope it is revoked.

Return of the Megaproject: Moynihation Station is Back!

Governor David Paterson, Senator Charles Schumer and Amtrak President Joe Boardman announced Sunday that months of intensive negotiations have resulted in a general agreement and mutual understanding on the basic terms and conditions that will lead to the redevelopment of New York City's historic Farley Post Office Building into a new inter-city passenger train station and center for most of Amtrak's New York City service.

So what finally led to a deal with Amtrak? According to the New York Times, Amtrak's new chief—a former New York State transportation commissioner—has been on board with the Moynihan Station plan and the government agreed to let Amtrak share in the revenue from the retail outlets that will fill the new station.

Another theory from Curbed.com - the recent revisiting of the demolition of the original, stunning Penn Station on Mad Men filled everyone with a renewed sense of shame.

I think this is great news. Penn Station is horrible, the busiest train station in the USA needs to be more impressive and efficient than the sore of a station that's there now.

Amtrak ‘security surge’ includes random bag checks

Story by Peter Mucha of the Philadelphia Inquirer discusses the Amtrak 'security surge.' The article states 'two days before the 9/11 anniversary, Amtrak is initiating a one-day "multi-force security surge" along the Northeast Corridor that includes "random passenger bag inspections at unannounced locations,".'

Security is needed along the NEC, we need to know traveling along the NEC is safe, I'm very happy to see this effort.