The Associated Press
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A test run of an on-board explosive detection system began Monday on the Shore Line East Commuter Rail in New Haven, part of a new train security initiative by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Commuters said they experienced little disruption as their bags were scanned though an X-ray and explosive-detecting device, similar to those used at airports. Their tickets were also scanned for explosive residue.
“It was quick. They were very efficient,” said passenger Jodi Ambrosino of Branford. “It seemed to go fine.”
The month-long test is the last of three studies exploring options for rail security.
The tests are being done in a rail car entirely dedicated to detecting explosives, including bomb-making materials and firearms. The checks are made after the train leaves the station, to prevent the formation of security lines, which officials say are vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
After the train leaves the station, passengers are required to place their bags on a conveyor belt to be scanned through the X-ray and explosives-detecting device, which is about the size of an office desk.
If the bag fails to clear the X-ray, a Transportation Security Administration agent gives it a more thorough examination.
Passengers must also present their tickets to a Transportation Security Administration agent, who rubs the tickets several times over a cloth pad. The pad slides into a scanning device about the size of a microwave oven. The cloth is quickly analyzed for explosive residue.
If the ticket clears the scan, it is handed back to the passenger. If not, the passenger is taken aside for a more thorough check.
Passengers who pass the tests may take their seats in adjacent train cars.
An earlier study in Maryland tested bags for explosive detection devices before passengers got on the trains, and a Washington, D.C., study scanned cargo and baggage loaded into trains.
Security experts will evaluate the performance and risks of each option. They will also assess how passengers respond to the security options, and whether the screening unduly delayed rail travel.
Shore Line East was chosen for the tests because it is not heavily used, unlike Metro-North and other commuter rails, making it easier for TSA agents and law enforcement to test the equipment and decreasing the likelihood that the tests would delay trains.
The commuter rail takes about 1,200 passengers a day along the Connecticut shoreline, from New Haven to Old Saybrook.
The tests will cost the Transportation Security Administration about $500,000.