Passengers could soon bring firearms in their packed luggage on Amtrak trains under a provision included in the Senate’s massive year-end spending bill.
“This is an important victory for sportsmen and gun owners across the country, and it affirms congressional support of the Second Amendment,” U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a news release. “Airline passengers in our country are allowed to transport firearms in secure, checked baggage when declared during the check-in process. Law-abiding gun owners who choose to travel on America’s taxpayer-subsidized rail line should be given the same right.”
The rule is the same as one that allows airline passengers to pack firearms in their checked luggage, according to Wicker. Under the provision, according to Wicker’s office:
- “The passenger must declare to Amtrak within 24 hours of departure that the firearm will be placed in his or her bag and will be unloaded”
- “The firearm or pistol must be carried in a hard-sided container”
- “The hard-sided container must be locked and only the passenger has the combination or key for the container”