As part of its plan to beef up security in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Amtrak on Friday announced that passengers will be required to hold tickets before boarding any train on the Northeast Corridor.

Outside of the corridor, the on-train purchase of tickets will still be permitted. But passengers will have to provide a form of photo identification first. Phoito ID is now required for the purchase of all Amtrak tickets by persons 18 or older.

Meanwhile, Amtrak's request for $3.2 billion in federal aid for improved security, tunnel improvements in New York, Baltimore, and Washington, and increased capacity is causing a ruckus on Capitol Hill.

Some lawmakers say the aviation safety bill should not be encumbered by unrelated amendments, The Associated Press reported on Saturday. It is common practice for lawmakers to tack unrelated amendments onto must-pass legislation.

But New Jersey's Democratic senators, Robert G. Torricelli and Jon S. Corzine, say Amtrak's plan to make long-delayed safety improvements to tunnels leadign to Penn Station in New York must be considered alongside the aviation safety propsoal. They said they'd stand by on Amtrak's request, even if it meant delaying the aviation bill.

The tunnels leading to Penn Station have been criticized in recent years for inadequate escape routes, ventilation, and firefighting systems. At any one time, as many as 4000 people can be in the tunnels beneath the Hudson and East rivers, the senators said. The tunnels are used by Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and the Long Island Rail Road.

About $900 million of Amtrak's $3.2 billion request would be used to update the New York tunnels. Another $100 million would go to improving the corridor's tunnel. in Baltimore and Washington. The rest of the money would go toward improving security through the addition of 150 police officers and passenger scanning equipment, and toward boosting capacity by fundign the repair of passengers that have been laguishing at the Beech Groove shops in Indiana.

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