Amtrak police meet with local first responders to discuss train safety and security

The Amtrak Police Department met with police agencies across the Coast to talk about safety and security around the tracks.

Amtrak has 450 police officers throughout the United States on trains and at train stations. As Amtrak begins practice runs, keeping people off the tracks and obeying railroad crossings is a top priority for all departments.

Amtrak Chief of Police Samuel Dotson tells News 25 how education is key to safety. “Freight trains are no new entity to the area. CSX runs a great service, but freight trains travel at about 35 mph. The new Amtrak service is going to travel at 79 mph. So, almost twice as fast going through the community, so we want to make sure that the public knows the trains are coming, they’re going faster, and how important it is to obey traffic devices at rail crossings.”

As part of their partnership, local police and Amtrak police will be launching a safety campaign.