The Associated Press reported today that Amtrak will start randomly screening passengers' carry-on bags this week using officers with bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms and trains. 

While the policy shift was inevitable following the train bombings in 2004 in Madrid and the following year in London that killed 161 and 52 people, respectively, train enthusiasts may be witnessing the beginning of the end for their hassle-free transportation.  However, Amtrak officials insist their new procedures won't derail the flow of passengers boarding trains (insert big YET here).

Amtrak intends to begin the random screenings -- which entail walking dogs through cars and platforms --  in the Northeast Corridor route between Washington and Boston first before expanding the measures to the rest of the country. 

Watch out for increased ticket prices and an airport-like "security fee" levied on you in the future.  After all, Congress -- which regulates and subsidizes Amtrak -- voted to continue subsidizing the cost of food on Amtrak despite annual losses of $83 million on the food service.  See Most Wasted article about this.