CLEVELAND, September 30 — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the United Transportation Union have joined forces to oppose a Senate amendment that would allow Amtrak passengers to carry firearms in their checked luggage.

Citing safety, operational, and financial concerns, the Presidents of the BLET and UTU yesterday wrote a joint letter to key members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to voice their strong opposition to the Wicker Amendment.

The Wicker Amendment to the Senate 2010 Transportation-House & Urban Development Appropriations Bill would allow Amtrak to transport firearms in passengers’ checked luggage.

“We strongly believe that this provision would seriously jeopardize the safety of our membership, of other crew members on Amtrak trains, and of the intercity rail traveling public,” wrote BLET National President Ed Rodzwicz and UTU International President Mike Futhey.

From a safety and security standpoint, the weapons would be too easily accessible to terrorists or others passengers.

“When firearms are transported in checked baggage on aircraft none of the passengers have access to those firearms because they are stored in a segregated cargo hold,” they wrote. “In stark contrast, anyone riding an Amtrak train need only overpower the on-board crew to have access to the baggage car and any weapons being transported therein. This poses an unacceptable risk, in our opinion.”

Not only does the amendment significantly diminish safety, it is also wasteful of federal subsidies necessary for Amtrak to fulfill its statutory mandate. The amendment does not provide funding to train Amtrak personnel on handling the baggage with checked firearms. Additionally, adding extra procedures during check-in and baggage handling to accommodate the amendment could adversely affect on-time performance.

Even if Amtrak was given additional operating funds to accommodate the transportation of firearms, the unions argue that the money would be better spent elsewhere along the Amtrak system.

“We would oppose the transportation of firearms on Amtrak trains because such additions of resources could better serve the public by increased investment in Amtrak’s infrastructure and rolling stock,” the union presidents wrote. “Traditional investments in Amtrak have easily documentable returns such as improved safety and increased ridership. Conversely, it is difficult to measure the return on investment to transport weapons, given the added costs involved with safely and securely transporting firearms.”

The unions are currently supporting a similar Amtrak appropriations measure in the House, which lacks the provision that forces Amtrak to change its current policy of prohibiting firearms on passenger trains.

A copy of the letter is available on the BLET website at:

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