Amtrak may ease rules on guns on its trains, sources say
Summary
Amtrak is thinking about changing its rules to let people store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains. This comes after a man traveled by Amtrak to Washington, D.C., carrying guns and tried to attack President Donald Trump and others at a recent event.Key Facts
- Amtrak may allow passengers to keep guns in lockboxes on over 1,500 trains daily, expanding from the current rule that limits guns to a few long-distance trains with locked baggage cars.
- The change would apply to busy routes like the Northeast Corridor, where around 750,000 people travel daily.
- A man named Cole Tomas Allen was arrested for bringing a shotgun and semiautomatic pistol on Amtrak from California to D.C. with the intent to kill President Trump and other officials.
- Allen tried to get past security barricades at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, leading to a gunfire exchange; a Secret Service officer was wounded but survived.
- Current Amtrak rules require passengers to declare firearms, keep them unloaded and locked in checked luggage.
- The proposed policy would still keep guns locked and only accessible to the conductor holding the key.
- It is not clear how Amtrak would verify if passengers legally can carry firearms or how it would handle local gun laws in different areas.
- The Trump administration has pushed for loosening gun transport restrictions on Amtrak.
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