Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department estimated that 27 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking.

Most are women and children forced into labor or prostitution. It is hard to believe that the United States is one of the countries in which these crimes occur.

That reality has convinced Amtrak to join U.S. airline employees in training how to spot human trafficking, often called a hidden crime.

Some 8,000 employees of the railroad will learn how to identify trafficking victims and report suspected crimes.

Amtrak personnel are well situated to help: they work out of service areas in 46 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.

The idea is to prevent the transportation system from being used for such criminal purposes, but also to raise awareness to save lives.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said that once victims are identified, the agency can prosecute traffickers and bring justice to victims.

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