Metro To Beef Up Security Against Explosives

Metro wants to jam.

The transit agency has received a $351,000 federal grant that it plans to use to buy special equipment to jam radio signals that trigger explosives by remote control.

It’s part of a new effort to protect the transit system, employees and riders.

The equipment includes a vehicle-mounted jammer and a portable jammer.

Metro said the devices will also be available for use by other accredited regional bomb squads when such a need arises.

Meanwhile, a Washington Post report on Friday suggested that the new Silver Line that is under construction does not have the technology and infrastructure to guard against a modern-day terrorist attack.

The missing security features, which will probably increase the project's cost, were identified in a triennial audit by the Tri-State Oversight Committee, a regional panel that oversees safety at Metro. Released last month, the nearly 300-page report noted dozens of problems at Metro, but it also highlighted the lapse in planning for the new rail line to include the "additional processes, design features, and equipment necessary in a 'post-9/11' environment."

The audit showed that the following security features are missing:  closed-circuit televisions currently in use at all Metro stations; technology used to detect WMDs and outside intruders on rail tracks; and routine threat and vulnerability assessments.

The additional cost that the security features would add to the project was not immediately known.

Contact Us