Number	25354
Subject	Railroads
Source	KOMO-TV (Seattle)
State	Washington
Year	2011
Publication Date	November 7-9, 2011; November 23, 2011; December 27, 2011
Summary	"Terror on the Tracks" exposes major gaps in freight rail security. We spent months criss-crossing the state gathering undercover video of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway trains carrying hazardous cargo. We found locomotives idling, unlocked, unmanned, unguarded - with the key, called a reverser, inside. The reverser makes the train move forward or backward on the track. The presence of the reverser would allow any intruder with basic knowledge to steal the train - potentially making them easy targets for terrorists. Our sources - current engineers and conductors working for BNSF with everything to lose by talking to us - say the trains are much more vulnerable than the company or the government is willing to admit. During our investigation we discovered trains had been stolen before - mostly by joy riders - all across the country.
Category	Contest Entry
Pages	45
Keywords	freight rail security; terrorists; hazardous; cargo; engineers; conductors
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