By Alabama Public Radio
Washington, DC – The federal Justice and Transportation Departments have endorsed U-S Senator Jeff Sessions' proposal to increase federal penalties for rail attacks. The measure also would change the punishment discrepancies for those who target freight and passenger trains. The Bush administration announced its support Thursday. Sessions introduced a version of the bill on the second anniversary of the September 11th attacks. But it began receiving more attention after last month's train explosions in Madrid, Spain. Those attacks prompted Amtrak and other American rail providers to re-examine the safety of their lines.