Bush ‘escape train’ under N.Y. hotel

MSNBC ^ | Sept 26, 2003 | MSNBC

[FourtySeven]

Sept. 26 — During President Bush’s two-day stay at the ritzy Waldorf-Astoria in New York this week — seeking international support for the U.S. resolution on Iraq — a special escape train was idling beneath the hotel, ready to whisk him to safety at a moment’s notice in the event of a terrorist attack, it was reported Friday.

The Secret Service arranged for the Metro-North train to be parked at an abandoned platform, always running and ready for instant departure throughout the president’s stay at the hotel on Tuesday and Wednesday, the New York Post reported, quoting unidentified law enforcement sources.

The platform — identified as Track 61 on Grand Central Terminal blueprints — is accessible by an underground passage from inside the landmark hotel and by a freight elevator that descends from a brass-sheathed door next to the hotel’s parking garage, giving the president and his entourage a second egress route in case of emergency, the Post said. Had that occurred, the train would have sped off to an undisclosed secure location, it said.

The unused station is under the Waldorf on 49th Street and Park Avenue and was never meant for riders, the Post said. The platform and adjacent tracks are normally used as a yard for out-of-service trains and can be seen by commuters going in and out of Grand Central Station, the newspaper reported.

[FourtySeven]

Interesting, the level of preparation now undertaken to protect the President. I think it's a good thing; I wonder if any rabid leftist would criticize this, likening it to their criticism of Bush's actions during 9/11. (calling him a coward, etc...)

[Chummy]

Any reason, though, this has to go open source?

[Dr. Frank fan]

I wonder if any rabid leftist would criticize this, likening it to their criticism of Bush's actions during 9/11. (calling him a coward, etc...)

I'm sure some rabid leftists would. And then we'd have to dig up articles showing that the Secret Service did the exact same kinds of things for Clinton, and Bush 1, and Reagan, and Carter... It would be a lot of trouble to prove a really boring point.

[EggsAckley]

Unfortunately, now every terrorist in town knows about it.

Back to the drawing board.

[MD_Willington_1976]

None..only that the news media boneheads have nothing better to do then to give away information theyt shouldn't..

[pabianice]

"NBC: Openly Endangering Political Enemies since 1948"

[Republican Red]

This was also in the New York Post this morning. The Post story mentions that the escape route is readily available for ALL world leaders.

"In the event of a security breach, Bush and other leaders could have boarded the train, which could then have sped off to a secure location"

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/6528.htm

My first thought is why did they need to publish this information. Surely it is not in the public's interest to have to know this security plan. This should have been kept secret.

[steve in DC]

"To the 'Bat Train'!"

[Izzy Dunne]

There was also an "entrance" train, intended to bring Chelsea Clinton in in the case of such an incident, so she could be seen jogging around the site...

[FourtySeven]

Any reason, though, this has to go open source?

I wondered the same thing, but then I figured that MSNBC, while leftist leaning, is hardly a spy organization. Thus, the information they received about this story must have ultimately come from a government source; in other words, if the SS feels comfortable releasing the information, I feel it's safe to talk about it.

[b4its2late]

MSNBC and other large media outlets are real good at handing our enemies our secrets....

[Tijeras_Slim]

Why didn't anybody tell me about this train?

[Cicero]

There's always some jerk who will leak a secret like this, but it takes a special kind of scummy treasonous mind to jeapardize the safety of the president by publicizing it, as MSNBC is doing.

How did things ever get so bad that the media and the educational establishment are controlled by lying left-wing traitors?

[twigs]

Indeed this should be kept secret. But now that it is known, I'm very glad that our president has such protection. Pres. Bush is a mighty force right now in stabilizing the world.

[FourtySeven]

hehe..one of the best movies ever, imo......

[Joe Hadenuf]

There's always some jerk who will leak a secret like this, but it takes a special kind of scummy treasonous mind to jeapardize the safety of the president by publicizing it, as MSNBC is doing.

That's all fine and I agree. However, what about the safety of the American people? Our President continues to allow people by the millions to enter out country illegally. What about the well being of our economy, security and our sovereignty?

[Joe Hadenuf]

The days of presidents riding in open limos is over.

It was actually over *many* years ago, when Kennedy decided to try it.....

[Tarl]

Exactly, the Secret Service is doing it's best to protect the President and a major press determines to broadcast? The media does not serve the Public's interest or this country's safety. If the President got attacked, whether successful or not, via media ineptness then who has abused the freedoms Americans are proud of?