WASHINGTON — Media outlets are reporting that President-elect Joe Biden’s planned arrival by train for his inauguration — widely anticipated but never officially announced — will not happen in light of security concerns in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building.
The Associated Press reports the move reflects increased concerns about threats in the Capitol and elsewhere leading up to the Jan. 20 inauguration, and notes the choice was likely a difficult one for Biden, given his strong linkage to Amtrak from his daily commutes between Delaware and Washington, D.C., during his time as a senator.
CNN, which first reported the decision, said at least some of the concerns leading to the change dealt with arrival at Washington Union Station. The move followed a Wednesday briefing outlining “the potential for additional extremist violence in the coming days,” the news site said.
The possibility of Biden arriving for his inauguration on Amtrak was first reported by Axios in early December [see “Digest: Massachusetts town, short line pause land-dispute court case …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 7, 2020]. Concerns over risks to passenger rail traffic in the Washington area have led two rail unions to call for increased security, including the creation of a “no-ride list” similar to the list blocking some individuals from air travel [see “Digest: Union Pacific traffic in Wyoming …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 14, 2021].
