I’ve taken several trips on Amtrak over the past few weeks, and have noticed a lot of extra security lately. Increased police presence inside the station. Increased police presence at the entrance before you get on the tracks. Foot patrols on the trains. Warnings that luggage is not allowed on empty seats next to passengers. Repeated announcements to notify authorities of any suspicious activity. I thought it was a pre-9/11 precaution last week. But the extra security is still out today.

Just noticing.

***

A reader e-mails:

I’m a 911 dispatcher…and we’ve been seeing a number of “pay extra attention to suspicious activity involving rail traffic”-type messages via teletype of late. Nothing very specific, but there’s definitely a lot of added federal activity there of late.