Al-Qaida Threats Bring Attention to Rail Safety

Since Osama bin Laden's death was announced last week, details have emerged about terror attacks bin Laden and his associates were planning on American rail transportation. 

This has focused attention on questions about the safety of rail systems throughout the country, even inspiring congressional hearings on rail counterterrorism efforts. Many local commuters might be wondering, "Just how safe is the Virgina Railway Express?"

According to Mark Roeber, public affairs manager of the VRE, the commuter rail is very safe. He explained that while there are more known vulnerabilities to the system than the area metro system—there are no turnstiles to act as a deterrent—there are numerous uniformed officers that ride the rails and, “130 undercover officers that patrol the trains at their pleasure and act as  the VRE's eyes and ears," he said.

The VRE does not have its own law enforcement agency, Roeber explained, because it is owned by the local jurisdictions that utilize the system. However, those local jurisdictions have made themselves more visible by riding the trains more often and patrolling the stations to make sure people aren't loitering, Roeber said.

“The TSA randomly appears on trains and at stations with specialized teams,” Roeber said. He added that all the efforts from both local officers and the TSA are completely random. “Terrorists like certainties—schedules, time tables, etc.,” Roeber explained.

Using a randomized tactical approach, VRE officials hope to make it difficult for a terrorist to plan and carry out an attack without being detected, he said.

The current system has been in place for several years, but Roeber said he could not comment on how often it is updated.

While there has never been an attack on the system, Roeber said that in the case of one, the public would know very quickly. It would be broadcast on Train Talk— the VRE's system for communicating with passengers and others who subscribe to the service—through email and on the VRE's website. The media would also be notified, he said.

Manassas Park resident Pauline Bonilla, who said she's been riding the VRE for two years, has never been concerned about her safety. “The VRE is pretty safe,” she said. “I feel less safe when I walk off the train in DC.”

Bonilla said she noticed that there are usually two conductors who ride the train everyday, but they never sit in the same car. She also noticed that there are no panic buttons in the cars for passengers to contact the operator in case of an emergency. “I guess I'll start looking for them (other emergency contact methods) tonight,” she said of her Thursday train ride home.

Roeber said that riders should be aware of any possible problems and report them to local police or the VRE immediately.

“The best eyes and ears are the passengers,” Roeber said. “They are diligent about being mindful of their commute and they are diligent about what they hear and see. So we feel like we have the pulse of what's going on.”

“Sixty-five percent of the [VRE's] workforce are government employees that are keenly aware of threats and vulnerabilities that are there,” he said.