Security tight along Obama’s train route tomorrow

Inquirer staff writer Sam Wood reports:

Heightened security will greet well-wishers tomorrow along President-elect Barack Obama's Whistle Stop Amtrak tour.

A special train will whisk Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, and their families from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. Saturday morning.

Law enforcement agencies are asking the public to view the train from station platforms along the route and to stay a minimum of 150 feet away from the tracks. In addition, they have asked people not to climb trees or any other structures along the tracks.

Obama's journey begins at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia where a private and ticketed event is scheduled to begin at 10:05 a.m.

The train will make a quick stop in Claymont, Del, before continuing to Wilmington, where 37,000 people are expected to greet the President-elect and his family at the back of the Wilmington Train Station. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. at the station, at 100 S. French Street, for the 1 p.m. event.

The train's next scheduled stop will be in Edgewood, Md. before it reaches Baltimore for a 4:15 p.m. event where 20,000 are expected to attend.

All along the route the Secret Service has banned firearms, ammo, explosives, and laser pointers. Additional banned items include: aerosols, signs and plackards greater than 20 feet long and ¼ inch thick, animals (other than guide dogs) and anything else that could be construed as a safety hazard.

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