The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) honored 10 public transportation providers from California, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C., with the 2026 Rail Safety, Security and Emergency Management Awards.

“These awards celebrate the innovation and dedication of public transit agencies and their employees who work daily to protect their passengers, colleagues and the communities they serve,” said APTA President/CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “APTA congratulates the public transit agencies honored today for their strong performance in safety, security, and emergency management. Their commitment to excellence sets a positive example for the entire industry.”

Nominations are evaluated on four criteria: effectiveness, benefit level, innovation, and transferability.

The top honor is the Gold Award, which is presented to organizations with the best example of a safety, security, or emergency management program. A Certificate of Merit is given to organizations in recognition of exceptional achievement in safety, security, or emergency management.

The 2026 Rail Safety, Security and Emergency Management Award winners are recognized in the categories of Commuter/Intercity Rail, Light Rail/Streetcar, and Heavy Rail. The 2026 winners are:

Gold Winners

• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad, New York – Commuter Rail
• MTA New York City Transit, New York – Heavy Rail/Subways
• The Maryland Transit Administration (MD MTA), Baltimore – Light Rail/Streetcar

Certificate of Merit Winners

• Caltrain, Millbrae, California – Commuter Rail
• North County Transit (NCTD) – San Diego Railroad, Oceanside, California – Commuter Rail
• Houston METRO, Houston – Light Rail/Streetcar

Gold Winners

• MTA Metro-North Railroad and MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Jamaica, New York – Commuter Rail
• MTA New York City Transit – Heavy Rail

Certificate of Merit Winner

• NCTD – Commuter Rail

Gold Winners

• MTA Metro-North Railroad – Commuter Rail
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, D.C. – Heavy Rail/Subways

Certificate of Merit Winner

• LIRR – Commuter Rail

Gold Winners

• MTA Metro-North Railroad – Commuter Rail
• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Oakland, California – Heavy Rail/Subways
• Metro Transit, Minneapolis – Light Rail/Streetcar

Certificate of Merit Winner

• WMATA – Heavy Rail/Subways