Amtrak users face Northeast route scrutiny

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Amtrak passengers headed up the Eastern Seaboard during the Republican National Convention in New York City will have to make reservations as part of security measures.

"No matter where you are going on the corridor, you have to make a reservation," said Marcie Golgoski, a spokeswoman for Amtrak. "There will be no walk-ups at all."

The reservation requirement begins Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 2, when the convention ends.

The Keystone and the Clocker train routes, which run between points in Pennsylvania and New York, are the only exceptions to the reservation rules. Passengers on those trains generally use commuter passes.

Trains heading to Pennsylvania Station, which runs underneath Madison Square Garden, where the convention is being held, will be inspected before they reach the terminal.

The inspections " could include looks at luggage and the questioning of passengers, if they are traveling into New York," Miss Golgoski said.

All luggage, including hand-held bags, will require an ID tag, she said.

Law-enforcement agencies will sweep trains from all points, both commuter and Amtrak, each day of the convention.

Because Amtrak has no way of tracking passengers, as the airlines do in some cases, the advance-ticket mandate will leave a paper trail for passengers through a credit or debit card.

"We don't follow our passengers or take any information other than credit-card numbers and names," Miss Golgoski said. "But typically, those paying ahead for tickets can't pay with cash. And they have to provide ID when buying a ticket."

New York's Pennsylvania Station is Amtrak's busiest with 138 trains arriving and departing every day. The station also serves commuter lines for New Jersey and Long Island.

Security for the two political conventions this year is both the most comprehensive and the costliest ever.

In New York, there will be about 10,000 police officers guarding the convention along with agents from the FBI and the Secret Service. They will use bomb-sniffing dogs and chemical-weapons-detecting devices, among other things.

The city of Boston estimates that it will cost about $50 million for security for the Democratic National Convention, which ends today. In New York, the costs are figured to be about $76 million. The federal government has promised to give each city $50 million to help ease the financial strain.