Amtrak Grade Crossing Safety

Everyone: Here we are-June 1st-it will be interesting to find out how the Adirondack and Maple Leaf perform today and read news reports about the first day of tightened ID restrictions to cross the US-Canada border.

The Pacific International with its pre-screening should run OK but I wonder if the more rigorous checks could make that train operate late also.

Busy border crossings like Detroit/Windsor and those in the Niagara Region to name a couple will be interesting places for the coming days as people get used to the new rules.
I am sure the press will cover this topic well in the places most affected.
Thoughts from MACTRAXX

I have heard and read varying reports as to what will happen to the persons who haven't been paying attention and don't have the required collaterals. It ranges from:

- A flyer listing the correct credentials and process to get them, plus a warning from the agent
- "Secondary screening" (which could be all kinds of things)
- Being pulled out of the line and subjected to an extensive background check

If the database on those of us who cross the border regularly is as extensive as has been reported here (and I don't doubt that), I suppose "any of the above" may be the correct answer based on the situation. Even so, we're done with Canada as a family until passports for everyone else (I have one) are obtained, which is not good news for our friends across the border with whom many dollars were spent in the past.

Everyone: From looking at news reports concerning the border today it seems to me that both US and Canada border agents are allowing people some leeway in the enforcement of these new rules-at least for the Summer tourist season this year-good news for trainriders.

I will post these links for Canadian information concerning the border:
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca For Canada Border Services Agency
http://www.nexus.gc.ca For Nexus Card information
http://www.serviceontario.ca For Ontario Enhanced License Information

Only time will tell to see how these new US-Canada Border rules play out! MACTRAXX

Everyone: Has anyone been a victim of MIS-INFORMATION by the Media concerning the new US-Canada border crossing rules?
Because of mis-information by the Media many thought-including me at one point-that only passports will be accepted to cross the border as of June 1st.
The US CBP and other authorities have a list of documents acceptable-like an enhanced NYS drivers license-that will be valid as many now know.
The Media also made it seem that there would be a "brick wall" of vigorous enforcement of the new rules.
I now wonder how many people are hesitant and/or postponed trips to Canada because of just being mis-informed about travel documents?
In the areas directly affected many knew about these new rules well in advance-compared to those who are do not live near a border or leave the US.
From the news reports and publicity we now know that some leeway will be allowed for citizens to become compliant with the new document rules-for at least the Summer 2009 season and maybe longer.
Many expected long delays or more at Customs with these new rules but because of a high compliance rate that has not materialized for now.
Only time will tell how well these new rules work and how they pan out.
Thoughts and opinion from MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone: Has anyone been a victim of MIS-INFORMATION by the Media concerning the new US-Canada border crossing rules?
Because of mis-information by the Media many thought-including me at one point-that only passports will be accepted to cross the border as of June 1st.
The US CBP and other authorities have a list of documents acceptable-like an enhanced NYS drivers license-that will be valid as many now know.
The Media also made it seem that there would be a "brick wall" of vigorous enforcement of the new rules.
I now wonder how many people are hesitant and/or postponed trips to Canada because of just being mis-informed about travel documents?
In the areas directly affected many knew about these new rules well in advance-compared to those who are do not live near a border or leave the US.
From the news reports and publicity we now know that some leeway will be allowed for citizens to become compliant with the new document rules-for at least the Summer 2009 season and maybe longer.
Many expected long delays or more at Customs with these new rules but because of a high compliance rate that has not materialized for now.
Only time will tell how well these new rules work and how they pan out.
Thoughts and opinion from MACTRAXX

I made a contact with a friend who completed a quick trip to Fort Erie, ON on the 1st. She said both sides were at normal traffic levels.

well I guess I can be the first to report for the rest of the group, I just did the real life crossing myself yesterday, and I can say its more hype then hypocrisy, well for those for you who don't know Im a US born citizen but residing in Canada under a work contract, however I purposely came back on june 1st to see if it will be all to difficult, as I don't poses a valid passport and am traveling on my US Birth certificate and my Florida DL, ( I know I was tempting faith ) so here goes.....

Traveling with my fiance and 2 year old son , had family members pick me up from Windsor VIA Rail station, crossed on the Ambassador bridge and we drove to Chicago. ( note I am the oldest of everyone crossing)
Me driving my family members car into the border...
Agent... citizenships?
ME... 3 US & 2 Canadian
Agent... please open the honda odyssey van sliding door.
ME... OK
Agent ...reason for crossing?
ME... 2 birthday parties ( my son and my sister) 1 graduation my (little sister graduating HS) and to update my information and get a passport card.
Agent.. goes down the line and asks who is who and all raise hands when called upon even my 2 yr old son.
Agent...all have passports ?
ME...except me and my son
Agent....your son is?
ME.... dual citizen born in Canada.
Agent...And you sir?
ME...Born in Chicago.
Agent... looks over my B.certificate and DL for all but 30 seconds.
my fiance.... takes out her cell phone because someone is calling her.
Agent...STOP RIGHT THERE! no phones or electronic devices whatsoever when your at the border!
ME...looking stunned as ever?
Fiance... are you serious?
Agent...Yes don't even bother with anything we prefer them to all be turned off as well..
Agent....looks at me and says ok all seems to be in order... you may proceed
ME...thank you
Teller $4.00 please
ME.... $4.00 to cross the bridge just after the custom inspection "ARE U SERIOUS!"
Teller... YES!
ME...aaahhhh...OK
ME.... what the heck happened to the Interstate?
Cousin ... no on ramp for a mile, major construction, have fun finding your way on im going to sleep wake me when we get to Chicago.

end of border crossing.... ALL THIS TOOK PLACE AROUND 1 AM, I was on VIA train 79 Toronto to Windsor .
needless to say Im writing this from my House in Chicago Im on 2 week vacation, so you all may not see me for a while hope everyone enjoyed the story...Buddah

the agent could have handled the cell phone a little better then screaming at her. hate to see what would have happend if your son reached for a portable cd player or something. that agent would probably pull a gun or something,

ramonesfan wrote:the agent could have handled the cell phone a little better then screaming at her. hate to see what would have happend if your son reached for a portable cd player or something. that agent would probably pull a gun or something,

I suppose the worst thing that could happen is they would confiscate the device. I have seen it happen at Newark Airport when someone did not take the instruction to turn off their cell phone seriously. I don't know if it was eventually returned or not.

buddah wrote: my fiance.... takes out her cell phone because someone is calling her.
Agent...STOP RIGHT THERE! no phones or electronic devices whatsoever when your at the border!

This is NO JOKE. Last year, my girlfriend and I were coming back from a weekend trip to Montreal. On the way back we decided to take 'the long way home' and go through some of the smaller towns in Quebec before heading back into Vermont. During this, her cell phone rang and it was her son calling to say he'd gotten his orders (he's in the Army) and he was about to be deployed to Iraq.

We were in line for something like 10-15 minutes at the border. All the while, my girlfriend trying to keep it together given the news that her sone was going to a war zone - trying to keep a 'normal' conversation going.

At the border the guard rather gruffly demanded she turn off the cell phone and that did it. She erupted in tears as she couldn't hold back anymore, pleading with the guard that this was her son about to go to Iraq and she feared she might never see him again.

The guard's attitude did an IMMEDIATE 360. He told her that we couldn't go through the crossing until AFTER she was done but that she could take as long as we needed to.

I'm guessing the guard's initial attitude was due to the number of people he probably has to deal with who would be, shall we say, "less than considerate".

Well unfortunately, cell phones have been used in some way to detonate bombs or other surveillance devices. There used to be an annoucement on the Maple Leaf prior to arrival at NFL/NFS that you need to turn off your cell phone. I always do myself when in presence of customs officers, but it just irks me that people don't listen.

Apparently, the USA and Amtrak are not the only ones grappling with immigration issues for rail passengers.

Cross-Channel train operator Eurostar says it will be unable to co-operate with plans to check everyone entering the UK against crime, terror and immigration watchlists, dealing a major blow to the government's £750m e-Borders programme.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/30 ... _eurostar/

Eurostar is complaining about the legality of collecting and transmitting info under the e-borders programme. Customs and border control is still performed by UK officials at either Gare du Nord in Paris before boarding the train or at the newly redone St Pancras International station upon arrival into London. All passengers go thru customs regardless of where it is done. The e-borders programme is similar to the pre-clearance that the US does whereby airlines and other operators must transmit a list of passengers. E-borders goes a step further and asks for all passenger bookings as well as those that actually boarded. Eurostar is stating that in France and Belgium it is not legal for their agents to request document verification and collect that info (as they are not govt agents) for transmittal under current laws.

drewh wrote:Eurostar is complaining about the legality of collecting and transmitting info under the e-borders programme. Customs and border control is still performed by UK officials at either Gare du Nord in Paris before boarding the train or at the newly redone St Pancras International station upon arrival into London. All passengers go thru customs regardless of where it is done. The e-borders programme is similar to the pre-clearance that the US does whereby airlines and other operators must transmit a list of passengers. E-borders goes a step further and asks for all passenger bookings as well as those that actually boarded. Eurostar is stating that in France and Belgium it is not legal for their agents to request document verification and collect that info (as they are not govt agents) for transmittal under current laws.

APIS is what eBorders is simular to, not the entire Canada-US Preclearence Agreement.

I find that statement of Eurostar agents not being legal to request travel documents for verification interesting because all they have to do is look at the travel document and verify it matches the reservation, enter the travel document number and they are on their way. Its not like they are asking customs and immigration questions.

Yes, I found the legality statement strange as well since Air France agents definitely ask to see your documents at the check-in counter and sometimes the gate as well.

I'm curious about what's going on in this video starting at about 3:40. Why are the gates insufficient to protect the crossing? Why the flares?