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January 23, 2025|Safety

U.S., Canadian Passenger Rail Stakeholders Partner on Preparedness

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
“Last month, we participated in a tabletop training exercise with Transportation Security Administration (TSA), VIA Rail Canada, Amtrak and Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS), among other partners, to bring together transportation and security partners,” Transport Canada reported in a Jan. 22 LinkedIn post. “The discussions included how governments, industry, and first responders can strengthen coordination, communication and response to security incidents within the rail transportation sector.” (TSA Photograph, Courtesy of Transport Canada)
“Last month, we participated in a tabletop training exercise with Transportation Security Administration (TSA), VIA Rail Canada, Amtrak and Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS), among other partners, to bring together transportation and security partners,” Transport Canada reported in a Jan. 22 LinkedIn post. “The discussions included how governments, industry, and first responders can strengthen coordination, communication and response to security incidents within the rail transportation sector.” (TSA Photograph, Courtesy of Transport Canada)
An attack on reservations systems, social media threats to passengers and operations, suspicious bags left at a train station, and an active shooter at a station and onboard a train headed to the U.S.—all these scenarios were worked through during a recent training exercise that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Transport Canada conducted with Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada.

“Surface transportation faces diverse physical threats due to the open nature of rail systems,” said TSA representative Danielle Turner, who is based in Canada. “With the growing prevalence of cyber threats, rail operators must also be prepared to address cyber risks that could jeopardize safety and security, as well as hybrid attacks featuring both cyber and physical components.”

Because the United States shares numerous border crossings with Canada, Turner noted that “[e]stablishing clear points of contact and fostering cross-border collaboration can greatly enhance coordinated responses to threats while ensuring the continued flow of commerce.”

The tabletop training exercise held last month in Niagara Falls, Ontario, focused on potential physical and cyber security threats to Amtrak’s and VIA Rail’s intercity passenger rail operations from Canada into the U.S. over the Niagara River. It brought together stakeholders from 15 U.S. and Canadian agencies, including the passenger rail operators, law enforcement, federal agencies, and city, state, and local governments.

Preparing for an Emergency

In addition to collaborating on possible responses, the goals of the training exercise were to “establish networks and communications, review security and emergency response plans, identify critical assets and practices to prevent significant security incidents, evaluate information dissemination strategies during heightened threats, and examine policies and procedures,” according to Michael Madrigal, TSA Surface Region 5 Regional Operations Director.

James Duncan, TSA Region 5 Surface Regional Security Director, was impressed with Amtrak and VIA Rail’s commitment to enhance their security and create the necessary relationships to counter threats. “The cornerstone of TSA’s engagement strategy is to collaborate with state, federal, local, and, in this case, international partners to bolster security preparedness and resilience,” he said. “A key takeaway from this exercise was the strengthened relationship between TSA and Transport Canada and a heightened recognition of the need to collaborate to protect our systems against a common threat.”

“The event was a tremendous success, offering participants valuable insights to strengthen our responses to real-world challenges,” added Stephen Larkin, Director of Rail Security at Transport Canada. “By fostering strong cross-border partnerships with law enforcement and industry stakeholders, we have made strides in advancing our shared security goals.”

VIA Rail Corporate Security and Intelligence Director Luciano Bentenuto also valued the training exercise and the collaboration with TSA and Transport Canada, noting that everyone plays a role in public transportation security. “Security within the realm of public transportation is everybody’s business,” he emphasized. “The collaboration between TSA and Transport Canada is the cornerstone in ensuring that all travelers in North America travel within a safe and secure environment. The security exercise in Niagara Falls, Canada, demonstrated how well our respective organizations are prepared to better serve all train passengers in North America.”

(Training exercise details and quotes, plus photographs/captions, courtesy of TSA)