The Department of Homeland Security secretary said we need to be concerned about rail security, one day after a New Jersey train crashed into Hoboken station.
“We have to be concerned about trains, public transportation, public places, public events,” Secretary Jeh Johnson said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Friday when asked whether trains are a weak spot terrorists or other bad actors could exploit. “TSA itself has been stepping up its rail safety efforts. But their principle focus right now is and should be aviation security. That’s the reason they were created. But they do have this rail safety mission.”
The commuter train crash killed one person and injured 108 after barreling through the Hoboken, N.J., train station at high speeds Thursday morning. A black box from the locomotive has been recovered and the train’s engineer is cooperating with the authorities as they conduct an investigation.
Though the causes of the incident remain unclear, Johnson said, “at this point [There are] no suspicions of terrorism or foul play or anything of that nature.”
Johnson assured viewers that National Transportation Safety Board and other government officials are “all over the crash at Hoboken.”
“I suspect it won’t be long until we have some answers.”
