PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – SEPTA is requiring all it’s rail engineers to wear fluorescent green and yellow vests when operating trains, saying it’s for safety and security reasons. It’s something the engineer’s union doesn’t like.

Operators of a train could be a target possibly to terrorists if they are identified in a unique way, according to the engineer union’s chief, Richard Dixon.

He says the requirement shouldn’t be a vest but an I.D. badge worn around the engineer’s neck similar to what N.J. Transit and Amtrak operators use.

“Vests can be duplicated. Wearing it, I don’t think that ensures that they are a locomotive engineer or a railroad employee,” said Dixon.

SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams says that the idea is to allow not only first responders to get to the scene in case there is an emergency, but to allow passengers to recognize immediately train personnel.

The engineer’s union has filed a grievance.

Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio