Safety & Security

What Should I Consider Suspicious?

Individuals who appear to be noting arrival and departure times or stops on maps of passenger, transit and subway trains.

Individuals who approach rail employees and ask questions about rail operations, rail equipment, locomotive fueling stations, and locomotive fuel capacity or security issues.

Individuals sitting in vehicles near passenger / mass transit rail operations that do not appear to pickup or drop off passengers and do not board a train.

Individuals who appear to be noting the size and capacity of passenger cars and or who ask train crew probing questions about peak travel times and capacity levels.

Individuals observed near rail switches, switch stands, signal bungalows and other locations along the railroad tracks and right of way.

Individuals observed watching switch operations by train crews at power plants, chemical industries, or bulk transfer facilities that ship and receive commodities by rail.

Individuals who appear to be out of place while on rail property.

Occupied or unoccupied vehicles parked along railroad or transit right of way, shops, yards and facilities.

The following may be more indicative of criminal activities but could indicate potential terrorist activities:

Incidents where obstructions are placed on the tracks for passing trains to strike. These incidents may involve the placement of track equipment (rail spikes, railroad ties, tie plates) which can be found along the railroad property or the placement of other types of debris which have been dumped or abandoned on railroad property.

Incidents where rail or transit property, equipment, vehicles, buildings, signal structures, trains, and / or locomotives are vandalized or broken into resulting in theft of rail property and equipment.

If something seems wrong, notify law enforcement authorities.

As safely as possible, record subject and vehicle descriptions to include any license plate number. Know any contractors working on rail properties.

Require the display of Identification cards of those contractors working on rail property. Make note of suspicious statements, people, and/or vehicles, especially if the customer displays an out-of-state driver’s license or is driving a rental vehicle or a vehicle with an out-of-state license plate.

Hold job briefings with employees and remind them to remain vigilant.

Report any missing or stolen rail equipment to the proper authorities.

Do not jeopardize your safety or the safety of others.

If immediate assistance is needed, notify Railroad Police, Amtrak Police, Transit Police or your local law enforcement agency.



Preventing terrorism is a community effort. By learning what to look for, you can make a positive contribution in the fight against terrorism. The partnership between the community and law enforcement is essential to the success of anti-terrorism efforts.

Some of the activities, taken individually, could be innocent and must be examined by law enforcement professionals in a larger context to determine whether there is a basis to investigate.

FBI Philadelphia

Joint Terrorism Task Force

215-418-4000

Ask for the Rail Security Liaison Agent –Squad CT4