New York – Train Riders’ Bags to Be Checked

New York – Federal inspectors will begin looking for bombs in the baggage of train passengers at several upstate New York rail stations starting next month.

The first check will take place April 6 at the rail-bus terminal in Syracuse, said Federal Security Director Gary Milano. After that, unannounced inspections will occur periodically in Syracuse, Utica, Rome and eventually Albany, Milano said.
"There is not a specific threat directed at either the rail system, or at central New York. It's just high time we started doing this," Milano said.

For most train riders, the baggage checks will be similar to those at the airport.
Using portable screening equipment, TSA agents and local uniformed police will set up temporary security checkpoints where bags will be scanned. Bomb-sniffing dogs also will be used, Milano said. Undercover federal and state police will mingle with the station crowd, he said.
quot;There may be certain circumstances where we need to do a little bit more than that. But in general it will be a very limited intrusion because we want to respect people's civil liberties but also their ability to get on the train in a timely fashion," Milano said. [AP]