Amtrak weighs making it easier to bring guns on all of its trains despite WHCA dinner attack

Amtrak Considers Policy Shift on Firearm Storage Amid Security Concerns

Amtrak is weighing a controversial policy change that would allow passengers to store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains, a move that has drawn criticism in the wake of a recent security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

According to sources familiar with the proposal, the passenger railroad service has been exploring this policy shift since early this year following pressure from Trump administration officials to relax restrictions on transporting weapons. The sources, who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly, indicated the plan remains under consideration despite recent events.

The timing of the potential policy change has raised concerns following the arrest of Cole Tomas Allen, who authorities say traveled by Amtrak from California to Washington, D.C., armed with a shotgun and semiautomatic pistol. Investigators allege Allen intended to assassinate President Donald Trump and other administration officials at last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ dinner.

Allen was apprehended after attempting to breach security barricades near the hotel hosting the event, leading to an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents. One officer wearing body armor was shot but survived thanks to the protective vest.

Amtrak has declined to comment on whether Allen complied with existing company regulations, which currently require passengers to declare firearms and allow the railroad to secure them with checked baggage. Allen’s attorney has noted his client has no criminal record and is presumed innocent.

The proposed rule change would significantly expand firearm transport options across Amtrak’s network. Under current policy, passengers may only bring guns aboard trains with locked baggage cars, which limits transport to roughly two dozen mostly long-distance routes. The new approach would install lockboxes on more than 1,500 daily trains, including all routes in the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor used by approximately 750,000 passengers daily.

Gun safety advocates have expressed alarm at the potential shift. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, criticized the proposal, saying: “Just days after a man took an Amtrak train to Washington with a shotgun and pistol and tried to assassinate the president and other federal officials, the Trump Administration is trying to open the floodgates for firearms on every Amtrak route.”

Currently, Amtrak’s policy mirrors that of commercial airlines – passengers must declare firearms, which must be unloaded, secured in hard cases, and transported only in checked baggage. The proposed change would maintain the requirement that guns remain locked up during transit, with only conductors having access to the keys.

The proposal raises significant logistical and legal questions. It remains unclear how Amtrak would verify whether passengers are legally permitted to carry firearms or how the company would navigate the complex patchwork of state and local gun regulations that vary widely across its national route network.

Unlike airports with standardized TSA screening procedures, Amtrak stations typically lack passenger screening infrastructure. This reality makes enforcement of current or future gun policies challenging, particularly at unstaffed rural stations where passengers can board trains without immediate ticket verification.

Security expert Sheldon Jacobson, whose research contributed to TSA’s PreCheck system, suggests railroads should enhance passenger screening by collecting more information during ticket sales and conducting background checks. However, he acknowledges the practical impossibility of completely preventing firearms from entering the rail system.

“The initial condition is that there’s almost 400 million guns in this country,” Jacobson noted. “Work from there as opposed to trying to create a utopian environment where there’s not guns and we’re going to keep it that way.”

Rail worker unions have spent nearly a decade advocating for stronger protections following incidents like the 2017 shooting of an Amtrak conductor in Naperville, Illinois. Two pending bills in Congress would make interfering with or assaulting rail workers a federal crime, similar to protections afforded to airline crews.

The current situation reflects the complex balance between security and practicality in America’s transportation networks. While air travel features rigorous security protocols, rail travel has historically operated with fewer restrictions. Amtrak’s policy approach must navigate safety concerns, operational realities, and a complex legal landscape regarding firearms transportation.

Neither Amtrak nor the Transportation Department have provided official comment on the proposed policy change or its implementation timeline.