WASHINGTON -- The nation's freight railroad industry is taking an in-depth look at security in light of the new global terrorism threat, while keeping America's vital transportation link up and running smoothly, according to a report from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Testifying before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Association of American Railroads President and CEO Ed Hamberger told lawmakers that the industry reacted "swiftly to the events of Sept. 11, in full cooperation with government authorities.

"In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, railroads tightened security, restricted access to important facilities, and intensified inspections across their systems," said Hamberger. AAt the same time, railroads also realized they had a responsibility to keep our nation's vital rail-transportation link open, and they have done so. Even in the hard-hit area of New York City, freight trains are again doing what they do every single day of the year -- moving raw materials and products that sustain our nation's economy. The entire rail industry -- passenger and freight, front line employees and management, customer and carrier B reacted with courage and resolution."

Surface Transportation Board Chairman Linda Morgan has noted the efforts of the freight rail industry in recent weeks, highlighting the Aextensive operational planning undertaken by the railroads, including planning for military preparedness, the various steps taken to enhance the security of rail facilities and the well-being of rail employees; the significant efforts by individual railroads to reach out proactively to their customers and communities through which they operate, and the various cooperative initiatives undertaken among the railroads to ensure that surface transportation and other needs are met."

In his testimony, Hamberger outlined the steps the rail industry is taking to determine how to best deal with the new threat of global terrorism. The industry is in daily contact with the National Security Council through the Department of Transportation's intelligence office. The working group is on call 24/7. Through this effort the industry is able to better monitor the transportation security situation and develop appropriate responses.

The Association of American Railroads has hired experts in the areas of foreign intelligence and DOD operations to help assess operational and informational security.

The industry has established a very focused effort in five different areas to assess our industry's security. These five teams will look at physical assets such as bridges, tunnels, control centers and dispatching centers; military operations to make sure critical lines used for defense purposes have the appropriate capacity and security; information technology and communications; operational security; and hazardous materials.

The industry is working with the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC), which provides an early warning and information sharing system for computer crimes and infrastructure protection, and serves as the nation's focal point for gathering information on threats to our infrastructure.

The Association of American Railroads is in the process of establishing a similar system geared specifically to the rail industry, which is heavily dependent on advanced information systems and technology. ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Center) also will allow the railroad industry to share information on cyber threats and cyber terrorism, and coordinate responses.

"Each critical action team is assessing the short term and long term vulnerabilities in the areas of people, process, and technology and developing an array of countermeasures. These will be deployed to prevent, detect, and mitigate any terrorist attack," said Hamberger. "Not withstanding all of our efforts, experts will tell you there is no 100 percent guarantee against terrorist assaults. Railroads already have in place practiced programs and procedures to protect the communities we serve and our employees, and to sustain the flow of freight." "These include emergency response plans for hazardous materials incidents and natural disasters, operational administration redundancy, and the training of rail employees and public emergency response personnel."