AmTrak riders boarding trains in Meridian Friday morning were probably surprised to see a huge increase in the number of law enforcement officers at Union Station.

    The cause of the increased security and searches was Operation Rail Safe, a railroad security program that AmTrak and federal terror agencies have begun over the past several years.

    Operation Rail Safe is meant to test the nation’s train security during busy commuting times. The drill gives various law enforcement agencies a chance to work together on security procedures on the rail system.

    Law enforcement from the Meridian Police Department, East Mississippi Drug Task Force, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department and from the MDOT Enforcement Agency participated.

    The four hour drill was conducted all across the nation and at every AmTrak stop in Mississippi. Passengers boarding the train Friday had their suitcases searched by officers to ensure no illegal items were carried on board.

    The program is conducted in conjunction with the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI.

    The drills factored in lessons learned from terror attacks in London and Moscow in recent years.