The United States is preparing to close what officials call a stubborn blind spot in its border-security regime: the passenger trains that cross the Canadian and Mexican borders every day. A notice of proposed rule-making (NPRM) published on 13 October by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would require every rail carrier to transmit an electronic manifest of crew and passenger information—comparable to the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) data long required for airlines and cruise ships—at least 24 hours before a train arrives at or departs from a U.S. port of entry. CBP argues that voluntary rail submissions, in place since 2009, leave too many gaps for effective vetting. The agency says mandatory, standardised data would let it run terrorism, immigration, agriculture and criminal checks before a train reaches the border, improving security while speeding legitimate traffic. Rail carriers would need to file not only passport details but seat assignments, U.S. addresses, redress numbers and baggage tag data where available. The proposal arrives as passenger rail service rebounds post-pandemic and as Amtrak pushes for expanded service to Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. Industry groups have long warned that a patchwork of manual inspection procedures makes rail less competitive with air travel; CBP claims that pre-arrival vetting will actually shorten dwell times at ports once fully operational. For corporate mobility managers, the rule matters in two ways. First, it would align rail compliance obligations with those already familiar in aviation, reducing uncertainty about documentation for cross-border commuters. Second, the requirement that carriers collect U.S. destination addresses means employers may have to furnish business travellers with itinerary details earlier in the booking process. Public comments are open until 14 December 2026, and mobility stakeholders—especially firms that rely on the busy New York–Montréal and Pacific Northwest corridors—should review the proposed data fields for privacy and feasibility concerns. If finalised, carriers would have one year to comply. The NPRM emphasises that CBP is willing to phase in enforcement, but penalties could ultimately mirror those applied to airlines that miss APIS deadlines. Mobility teams should monitor the docket (USCBP-2026-0992) and be prepared to update travel policies for rail trips as early as late 2027.
