Amtrak to Allow Guns in Checked Bags Starting December 15th

Starting in mid-December, travelers on Amtrak will be able to bring their firearms in checked baggage. With airport security and airline baggage fees becoming more burdensome by the week, rail travel may become more appealing to shooters and hunters. The new Amtrak gun transport policy goes into effect on December 15, 2010. However, firearms transport will only be available between stations where checked baggage service is currently available. Amtrak has modified 142 baggage cars “to provide a secure, safe location for the firearms.”

Requirements for Firearms Transport
You can’t just walk on an Amtrak train with a holstered gun or a rifle in a gun case. Far from it. Advanced notice and special packing is required. Here are Amtrak’s gun transport rules:

• Advanced Notice: At least 24 hours before departure, travelers must notify Amtrak of their intention to transport firearms. Notification must be by phone (not online), and firearms must still be declared upon check-in.
• Declaration: When checking-in, you must tell baggage handlers that you are transporting firearms.
• Locked Container Requirement: As when transporting guns on a commercial airline flight, gun owners should pack firearms unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided container. NOTE: handgun cases must stored inside a suitcase or other checked bag.
• Ammo Transport: Ammunition should be stored in a manufacturer’s box or in “fiber, wood, or metal boxes … or in other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.”

Gun-toting travelers with questions should call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com. Federal legislation mandated this Amtrak policy change.