Amtrak Considers Gun Lockboxes on Trains

0:00Amtrak's eyeing a big change to let passengers store guns and lockboxes on most of its trains nationwide. Right now, firearms are only allowed on a few long-distance routes with locked baggage cars, but this proposal would open up over 1,000-five. 100 trains daily, including busy northeast quarter lines serving about 750,000 riders a day. It comes just days after a guy from Torrance, California, rode Amtrak to Washington, D.C., packed with a shotgun and semi-automatic pistol aiming to. Target officials at the White House Correspondents' dinner. He got arrested after trying to blow past security, sparking a shootout where a secret service agent took a bullet to the vest, but survived unharmed. Amtrak won't confirm if he followed current rules, which demand declaring guns of front and locking them unloaded in check bags that meet size and weight limits. The new plan keeps guns locked, only conductors hold the keys, but as those boxes do every train for easier access. Critics are fired up, saying it's the worst timing after that near-miss assassination attempt.

1:05Groups like every town for gun safety argue it'll flood trains with firearms and cut safety, especially as the feds ease up on gun enforcement. Unions have pushed for years for better worker protections, like making assaults on real staff, federal crimes, following incidents like a conductor. Shotin' Illinois back in 2017. Experts point out trains lack airport-style screening. No back checks, no background runs at stations, even un-staff ones at night. Security Pro. Sheldon Jacobson says, with nearly 400 million guns in the U.S., you can't wish them away, better to check take it smarter. Up front, without full TSA hassle, since rail risks stay lower than flights. This shift highlights the tightrope between gun rights and rail safety with tests possibly starting soon, and Congress watching clothes could reshape how we ride the rails for good. That wraps Canada News today, brought to you with AI. I'm Cory with The Story.