The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services today announced that an "Operation NY S.E.C.U.R.E." (Securing the Empire Corridor by Unifying Regional Efforts) exercise will take place at train stations on Amtrak’s Empire Line, as well as at the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse, beginning at 6 a.m. on April 17. Now in their second year, these multi-agency exercises have been extremely successful at promoting cooperation between law enforcement agencies on rail lines and improving their capabilities to respond to actual emergencies. Participating agencies include the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, State Police, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Amtrak Police, and several local law enforcement agencies.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner Patrick A. Murphy said, "These exercises play a critical role in increasing cooperation between law enforcement agencies responsible for protecting rail stations, as well as in improving the capabilities of these first responders during actual emergencies. I want to thank the State Police, MTA, Amtrak and all of our local law enforcement partners not only for their partnership in this endeavor, but for their dedication to keeping New Yorkers safe."

Officers will perform counter terrorism and incident response exercises at passenger train stations and along the right-of-way in Amtrak's Empire Corridor. This coordinated effort involves activities such as heightened platform patrols, increased security presence onboard trains, explosives detection canine sweeps, and counter-surveillance measures. The goal of this operation is to improve coordination and response between the railroad police agencies that are responsible for each station, and the state and local law enforcement agencies that will be responding to emergencies at those locations.

Operation NY Secure will take place on Amtrak's Empire Line from the Albany/Rensselaer station to the Yonkers Station at the following passenger train stations:

• Yonkers
• Tarrytown
• Croton Harmon
• Peekskill
• Poughkeepsie
• New Hamburg
• Beacon
• Rhinecliff
• Hudson
• Albany/Rensselaer

An additional exercise will be conducted at the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse as well.

Acting New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett said, “Collaboration and training among law enforcement, first responders and state agencies are vital when it comes to protecting New Yorkers from emergencies and other threats. Operation NY Secure is critical in helping us to be proactive and prepared in our responses to any incident that impacts our rail lines. Exercises such as this fortify and enhance our existing safety protocols to ensure the highest level of protection for New Yorkers and the transportation hubs that they depend on.”  

MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said, “Safety and security are core values at the MTA. The work we're doing in concert with our statewide partners in law enforcement will enhance our ability to respond to all manner of emergencies and help us remain ever vigilant against terrorist threats.” 

Amtrak Police Department Deputy Chief of Police Martin Conway said, "Safety is Amtrak's top priority - whether it is on a train, at a station, or on our right of way. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure the safety of our customers, employees and infrastructure. We look forward to collaborating with New York State Police, MTA, local police, and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services on this exercise, as well as on new initiatives in the future."

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