The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a proposed rule to increase security measures on trains and tracks that carry toxic substances. The rule would establish additional measures for those carrying such substances through urban areas. Under the proposed rule, all freight and passenger railroad carriers, as well as certain facilities that ship or receive hazardous materials by rail, would be required to hire a full-time rail security coordinator and at least one alternate coordinator to ensure that someone is at the post around the clock. These covered facilities would be required to report incidents, potential threats, and security concerns to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) immediately. The entities covered under the proposed rule would be subject to TSA and DHS inspections. These inspections would be more frequent for those transporting hazardous materials through urban areas. Carriers that ship hazardous materials would have to provide a security chain of custody for the materials and be able to locate them within one hour of a TSA request. The proposed rule sets out fines of up to $10,000 per security violation as determined by the TSA. Read the proposed rule.railsecurity0407.pdf