For Immediate Release (26-10)
November 6, 2026
Contact: Joe Aiello (jaiello@narprail.org)
Rail Passengers Association Questions Amtrak Firearms Policy Change, Calls for Transparency Regarding Trump Administration’s Role
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rail Passengers Association President & CEO Jim Mathews joined with frontline Amtrak employees to raise concerns regarding Amtrak’s decision to allow passengers to transport guns in personal lockboxes onboard its trains beginning January 2027. Mathews also questioned the need for the new policy, with its attendant impacts to onboard safety and operations, given the fact that Congress already requires Amtrak to accept checked firearms and ammunition on all Amtrak trains that offer baggage service and a ticket office.
“Passenger safety must remain Amtrak’s highest priority,” said Mathews. “The railroad owes passengers, frontline employees, and Amtrak Police officers a clear explanation of why allowing onboard guns is necessary and how it will make the network safer — not just on the Northeast Corridor with its dense station pattern, but across the entire network, including routes that operate through sparsely populated stretches of the country, where it takes law enforcement officers many hours to reach a train.”
Mathews went on to note that, because Amtrak’s network crosses dozens of state and local jurisdictions, all with varying firearms laws, there is also a high potential for confusion amongst travelers.
“A passenger could board a train with a legal firearm at one station and arrive at another station where possession of that same firearm is prohibited,” Mathews said. “That places an unnecessary burden on Amtrak Police and onboard employees, while raising logistical questions about how the railroad will manage compliance with local laws.”
Rail Passengers is also calling for transparency regarding any involvement by the Trump Administration and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in pushing Amtrak leadership to implement this policy change.”
“It’s important to disclose whether the Trump Administration, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, or other federal officials pressured the railroad to adopt this policy,” Mathews said. “If political considerations played a role in this decision, passengers and workers deserve to know.”
“Before moving forward, Amtrak must explain how this policy will not increase risks for passengers, employees, or law enforcement officers,” said Mathews. “Safety, transparency, and accountability comes first.”
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About Rail Passengers Association: with 127,000 members, donors, and supporters, the non-profit Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation, and ensure safety for our country’s trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works, and plays in towns all across America.