Earlier this week TCU President Maratea requested that Amtrak work with law enforcement to enact safety measures that ensures the safety of railroad workers and the traveling public that will be traveling leading up the the inauguration in Washington D.C., especially in the wake of the recent violence at the Capitol.
President Maratea stated, “I urge Amtrak to immediately liaise with local and federal law enforcement to ensure a robust and visible police presence at Union Station, and that crowd control measures and fortifications – to the fullest extent practicable – are erected to protect employees and passengers. Amtrak should also explore the practicality of coordinating with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to utilize the “No-fly” list in screening passenger manifests, and deny ticket sales to those passengers.”
“We must not let our nation’s trains or DC’s Union Station – with its surrounding grounds and proximity to the Capitol – become the site of, or aid in, another historically tragic event. We must be prepared for all situations”
Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn responded to the request from TCU: “There is nothing more important than the safety of our employees,” Flynn said in a statement. “Since the start of the pandemic, our dedicated frontline employees have kept our trains running, providing a vital transportation service to essential workers. We join our labor partners in continuing to call upon Congress and the Administration to make assaults against rail workers a Federal crime, as it is for aviation workers, and to expand the TSA’s ‘No Fly List’ to rail passenger service.”
Click here to read the request from TCU President Maratea.
Click here to read the release from Amtrak CEO Flynn