Amtrak to Allow Locked, Unloaded Guns in Carry-On Bags on Acela and Northeast Regional Trains; Rail Union Calls It ‘Lunacy’

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NEW YORK, NY — Amtrak is changing its firearm policy so passengers 18 and older can bring declared, unloaded guns and ammunition in carry-on bags on trains that do not offer checked baggage, including the Northeast Regional and Acela. The Transport Workers Union, which represents some Amtrak workers, calls the change “lunacy.”

Amtrak said the new policy aligns with Executive Order 14206, a February 2025 order from President Trump that directed the attorney general to review federal agencies for “ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens,” as reported by ABC7 New York.

Here is what Amtrak described:

• The carry-on option applies only on trains without checked baggage service, such as the Northeast Regional and Acela.
• Travel must be between staffed stations.
• Advance notice is required.
• The firearm must be unloaded and declared.
• It must be kept in a secure, double-locked, TSA-compliant, hard-sided case that cannot be accessed while riding the train.
• On trains that do have checked baggage, existing procedures stay in place.

Amtrak said the change is being phased in. It starts with the Auto Train on Sept. 1, and other routes follow in 2027. The railroad said starting with a standalone service lets it closely monitor the initial rollout. The union describes the timeline as passengers being allowed to bring their own guns on trains starting in January 2027.

Under current Amtrak policy, riders can transport guns on a few dozen long-distance trains, with the firearms stored in secure baggage cars.

The union argues the change weakens security because anyone with enough force could pry open the lockboxes.

“You can’t walk onto a plane with a gun; it has to be checked with your luggage and stowed away,” said John Feltz, director of the TWU International Rail Division. “So why allow guns in passenger cars on trains where there are also passengers in confined spaces? This is sheer lunacy.”

Amtrak makes the airline comparison too. It said eventually allowing declared, unloaded firearms on all trips between staffed stations, subject to local and state laws, “further aligns Amtrak with other national transportation carrier policies, such as airlines.”

Both sides point to airlines. The real difference is where the case rides. On trains with no baggage car, there is nowhere to check it, so the locked case goes in the passenger car with its owner.

Get the mindset right on this one. This is a transport rule, not a carry rule. The gun stays unloaded and locked in a case you cannot get into for the whole trip. It is not a defensive tool on the train, and nothing in Amtrak’s description suggests otherwise.

The “subject to local and state laws” language matters just as much. Amtrak’s permission covers the train, not your destination. A rider getting off in New York still has to answer to New York’s concealed carry laws and permit rules. Know them before you pack the case.

More from USA Carry:

• Justice Department Says You Can Carry for Self-Defense in a Post Office, and the Postal Service Ban Cannot Be Enforced
• Galloway Precision LC-9 Trigger Mod Review
• Balancing Safety & Readiness: Carrying “Cocked and Locked?”
• Does A Concealed Carry Permit Allow You to Bypass a Background Check When Purchasing a Firearm?
• New Jersey Loses Its Assault Weapons Ban in Court, So Lawmakers Dust Off a Five-Year-Old Bill Targeting How You Store Your Guns

Federal transportation rules are moving on another front too. In July, NRA-ILA said the NRA submitted a comment on ATF’s firearm transportation rulemaking under the Firearm Owners Protection Act.

I will continue tracking Amtrak’s rollout as the policy expands to more routes in 2027.

Read the original story: Amtrak to Allow Locked, Unloaded Guns in Carry-On Bags on Acela and Northeast Regional Trains; Rail Union Calls It ‘Lunacy’