Passenger rail systems provided 10.7 billion passenger trips in the United States in 2008. The nation’s passenger rail systems include all services designed to transport customers on local and regional routes, such as heavy rail, commuter rail, and light rail services. Heavy rail systems–– subway systems like New York City’s transit system and Washington, D.C.’s Metro––typically operate on fixed rail lines within a metropolitan area and have the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic. Commuter rail systems typically operate on railroad tracks and provide regional service (e.g., between a central city and adjacent suburbs). Light rail systems are typically characterized by lightweight passenger rail cars that operate on track that is not separated from vehicular traffic for much of the way. All types of passenger rail systems in the United States are typically owned and operated by public sector entities, such as state and regional transportation authorities. Amtrak, which provided more than 27 million passenger trips in fiscal year 2009, operates the nation’s primary intercity passenger rail and serves more than 500 stations in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Amtrak operates a more than 22,000 mile network, primarily over leased freight railroad tracks. In addition to leased tracks, Amtrak owns about 650 miles of track, primarily on the “Northeast Corridor” between Boston and Washington D.C., which carries about two-thirds of Amtrak’s total ridership. Stations are owned by Amtrak, freight carriers, municipalities, and private entities. Amtrak also operates commuter rail services in certain jurisdictions on behalf of state and regional transportation authorities. Figure 1 identifies the geographic location of passenger rail systems and Amtrak within the United States as of January 1, 2010. Passenger rail operators that we spoke to and that attended our expert panel indicated that rail stations in the United States generally fall into one of three categories: Heavy rail station. These stations are generally heavily traveled—serving thousands of passengers during rush hours—and are located in major metropolitan areas. They are usually space constrained and located either underground or on an elevated platform and serviced by heavy rail. Entry to the stations is usually controlled by turnstiles and other chokepoints. Many of the subway stations in New York City and elevated stations in Chicago are examples of these types of stations. See figure 2 for an example of a typical heavy rail station. Large intermodal station. These stations are also heavily traveled and service multiple types of rail including heavy rail, commuter rail, and intercity passenger rail (such as Amtrak). These stations are usually not as space constrained and access is usually restricted either by turnstiles or naturally occurring chokepoints, such as escalators or doorways leading to rail platforms. Examples of these types of stations include Union Station in Washington, D.C. See figure 3 for an example of a typical large intermodal station. Commuter or light rail station. These stations are open and access is generally not constrained by turnstiles and other chokepoints. These stations are usually served by commuter rail systems in suburban or rural areas outside of a metropolitan area or in the case of light rail may be located physically on the city’s streets with no access barriers between the city and the station stop. The stations are easily accessible, not usually space constrained, and are often located outdoors. Examples of this type of station include Virginia Railway Express commuter stations in suburban Virginia and the Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) stations in Maryland. See figure 4 for an example of a commuter or light rail station. To date, U.S. passenger rail systems have not been attacked by terrorists. However, according to DHS, terrorists’ effective use of IEDs in rail attacks elsewhere in the world suggests that IEDs pose the greatest threat to U.S. rail systems. Rail systems in the United States have also received heightened attention as several alleged terrorists’ plots have been uncovered, including multiple plots against systems in the New York City area. Worldwide, passenger rail systems have been the frequent target of terrorist attacks. According to the Worldwide Incidents Tracking System maintained by the National Counter Terrorism Center, from January 2004 through July 2008 there were 530 terrorist attacks worldwide against passenger rail targets, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths and more than 9,000 injuries. Terrorist attacks include a 2007 attack on a passenger train in India (68 fatalities and more than 13 injuries); 2005 attack on London’s underground rail and bus systems (52 fatalities and more than 700 injuries); and 2004 attack on commuter rail trains in Madrid, Spain (191 fatalities and more than 1,800 injuries). More recently, in January 2008, Spanish authorities arrested 14 suspected terrorists who were allegedly connected to a plot to conduct terrorist attacks in Spain, Portugal, Germany, and the United Kingdom, including an attack on the Barcelona metro. The most common means of attack against passenger rail targets has been through the use of IEDs, including attacks delivered by suicide bombers. According to passenger rail operators, the openness of passenger rail systems can leave them vulnerable to terrorist attack. Further, other characteristics of passenger rail systems––high ridership, expensive infrastructure, economic importance, and location in large metropolitan areas or tourist destinations––make them attractive targets for terrorists because of the potential for mass casualties, economic damage, and disruption. Moreover, these characteristics make passenger rail systems difficult to secure. In addition, the multiple access points along extended routes make the costs of securing each location prohibitive. Balancing the potential economic impacts of security enhancements with the benefits of such measures is a difficult challenge. Securing the nation’s passenger rail systems is a shared responsibility requiring coordinated action on the part of federal, state, and local governments; the private sector; and passengers who ride these systems. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the role of the federal government in securing the nation’s transportation systems has evolved. In response to attacks, Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), which created TSA within DOT and conferred to the agency broad responsibility for overseeing the security of all modes of transportation, including passenger rail. Congress passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which established DHS, transferred TSA from DOT to DHS, and assigned DHS responsibility for protecting the nation from terrorism, including securing the nation’s transportation systems. TSA is supported in its efforts to secure passenger rail by other DHS entities such as the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) and Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate and Planning and Assistance Branch. NPPD is responsible for coordinating efforts to protect the nation’s most critical assets across all 18 industry sectors, including transportation. FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate is responsible for managing DHS grants for mass transit. FEMA’s Planning and Assistance Branch is responsible for assisting transit agencies with conducting risk assessments. While TSA is the lead federal agency for overseeing the security of all transportation modes, DOT continues to play a supporting role in securing passenger rail systems. In a 2004 Memorandum of Understanding and a 2005 annex to the Memorandum, TSA, and FTA agreed that the two agencies would coordinate their programs and services, with FTA providing technical assistance and assisting DHS with implementation of its security policies, including collaborating in developing regulations affecting transportation security. In addition to FTA, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) also has regulatory authority over commuter rail operators and Amtrak and employs over 400 inspectors who periodically monitor the implementation of safety and security plans at these systems. FRA regulations require railroads that operate intercity or commuter passenger train service or that host the operation of that service adopt and comply with a written emergency preparedness plan approved by FRA. In August 2007, the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act was signed into law, which included provisions that require TSA to take certain actions to secure passenger rail systems. Among other items, these provisions include mandates for developing and issuing reports on TSA’s strategy for securing public transportation, conducting and updating security assessments of mass transit systems, and establishing a program for conducting security exercises for rail operators. The 9/11 Commission Act includes requirements for TSA to increase the number of explosives detection canine teams and required DHS to carry out a research and development program to secure passenger rail systems. State and local governments, passenger rail operators, and private industry are also stakeholders in the nation’s passenger rail security efforts. State and local governments might own or operate portions of passenger rail systems. Consequently, the responsibility for responding to emergencies involving systems that run through their jurisdictions often falls to state and local governments. Although all levels of government are involved in passenger rail security, the primary responsibility for securing the systems rests with the passenger rail operators. These operators, which can be public or private entities, are responsible for administering and managing system activities and services, including security. Operators can directly operate the security service provided or contract for all or part of the total service. For example, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority operates its own police force. Federal stakeholders have taken actions to help secure passenger rail. For example, in November 2008, TSA published a final rule that requires passenger rail systems to appoint a security coordinator and report potential threats and significant security concerns to TSA. In addition, TSA developed the Transportation Systems-Sector Specific Plan (TS-SSP) in 2007 to document the process to be used in carrying out the national strategic priorities outlined in the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) and the National Strategy for Transportation Security (NSTS). The TS-SSP contains supporting modal implementation plans for each transportation mode, including mass transit and passenger rail. The Mass Transit Modal Annex provides TSA’s overall strategy and goals for securing passenger rail and mass transit, and identifies specific efforts TSA is taking to strengthen security in this area.