Amtrak suspends most Acela service for repairs

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amtrak's summer of discontent continued Tuesday, when the railroad suspended most of its high-speed Acela Express service so it could inspect the trains for cracks in shock absorbers beneath their locomotive cars.

Amtrak found the cracks below three locomotives. Two trains that passed the inspection Monday night were expected to be in service, spokesman Bill Schulz said.

Inspections were continuing on Amtrak's 13 other Acela Express trains, which operate only between Washington, D.C., New York and Boston.

Other Amtrak trains that serve the busy Northeast Corridor, including Acela Regional and Metroliner service, are not affected.

"We're bringing as much equipment as we can into service to make up for the shortfall," Schulz said.

Amtrak pledged to credit passengers for the difference in ticket prices between Acela Express and the trains they take.

About 40,000 people ride Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor on a typical weekday. Of that number, more than 10,000 use Acela Express.

Amtrak encouraged its passengers to check departures by visiting its Web site or calling (800) USA-RAIL.

The high-speed trains, capable of reaching 150 mph, are built by a consortium of Canada's Bombardier Transportation and France's Alstom Ltd. Amtrak is working with Bombardier on a plan to repair and standardize the 18 trains in use.

The first cracked yaw damper bracket was discovered Monday during a periodic maintenance inspection. Each power car has four yaw dampers that prevent swaying at high speeds, which could accelerate wear and tear to rails and train wheels.

A yaw damper that broke loose could cause serious damage to the train's underside.

Amtrak said it immediately directed Bombardier and Alstom, and their subsidiary maintenance company, to inspect all brackets.

The decision to pull the Acela Express trains is the latest blow for financially troubled Amtrak. The railroad suffered a cash crisis so severe this summer that it needed $205 million from the government to avert a nationwide shutdown.

Last month, an Amtrak train from Chicago to Washington derailed in Maryland, injuring more than 100 people. The train engineer reported seeing a kink in the tracks that could have been caused by excessive heat, and investigators found the rails were more than two feet out of alignment.

When Acela Express was introduced less than two years ago, Amtrak was hopeful the high-speed trains would carry the railroad into the 21st century. But equipment problems and unreliable service have plagued Acela Express.

Amtrak's all-reserved Metroliner service, which runs slightly slower than Acela Express, used to be the Northeast's premier service. Amtrak's original plan was to phase out the Metroliner and replace it with Acela Express, which has more amenities and a higher ticket price.

But the Acela Express trains have posted the worst on-time performance record this year among all Amtrak trains in the heavily traveled Northeast corridor. Last month, 35 Acela Express trains were canceled before leaving the station or terminated before reaching their destination. Most cancellations were due to equipment problems.

Amtrak announced earlier this month that all 18 of the high-speed trains need repairs and modifications. The passenger railroad declined to accept delivery of a 19th train, citing modifications that were not made.

On a typical day, Amtrak sends 15 Acela Express trains into service and keeps three in reserve.

Amtrak officials say mechanical problems aside, Acela Express has been a success in attracting riders. Amtrak trains now carry more passengers between Washington and New York each day than do the US Airways and Delta shuttles combined.

Tuesday August 6, 8:45 pm Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Sets the Record Straight Following Media Reports About its Northeast Corridor Trainsets
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--Following media reports about alleged problems with the Northeast corridor high-speed trainsets known as Acela Express, operated by Amtrak, between Boston, New-York and Washington, Bombardier Transportation wishes to set the record straight on the following four points:

- To the statement that the trains are "vastly overpowered," it should be noted that this is a direct result of the customer's specifications. In fact during negotiations leading up to the contract, Bombardier had repeatedly suggested that one power car per trainset was sufficient but the customer's administration at the time insisted on two power cars.
- The reported freeze-up of the braking system is attributable to the customer's request for a new design. Throughout the project, Bombardier recommended a different brake system than the one the customer insisted upon. Bombardier repeatedly warned Amtrak, both before and after the contract was awarded, that its desired system is more prone to revert to its fail-safe conditions because of its increased complexity. At the time, the customer nevertheless insisted on the new design. It is noteworthy that none of the failures are safety related.
- The reported problem with the toilet door latches arose from the customer's insistence on a new sophisticated door design. Early on, Bombardier clearly indicated to the customer that this new design was comprised of mechanisms that would either lock the door in the open position, or would prevent passengers from opening the door. The customer nonetheless insisted on this new design.
- Amtrak instructed Bombardier to deliver trainsets even though Amtrak knew that insufficient time was available to incorporate numerous requirement changes.

Bombardier, in cooperation with the customer, is fully committed to the performance of the Acela trainsets and is sparing no effort to ensure the successful implementation of this new high-speed technology in North America. Passengers are delighted with these trains. It is indeed well recognized that Amtrak's ridership on the Boston-New-York-Washington corridor has increased significantly and steadily since the introduction of the Acela Express service.
According to the National Association of Railway Passengers, ridership is up 23%, resulting in a 44% growth in revenues in the twelve-month period ending May 2002. Acela is now the benchmark for high-speed rail technology and service in North America with the commercial success to match.
Contact:
Bombardier Transportation
Carol Sharpe
Director, Public Affairs and Communications, North America
Phone: (450) 441-8156
http://www.transportation.bombardier.com

Source

Here's an update:

Amtrak halts high-speed Acela trains

Cracked brackets on locomotives present serious safety concerns

Wednesday, August 14, 2002

BY ROBERT COHEN
STAR-LEDGER WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak suspended its high-speed Acela Express service along the Northeast Corridor yesterday after finding cracks on heavy metal brackets that hold shock absorbers to the locomotives.

Concerned about possible derailments and other serious safety issues, Amtrak shifted passengers to slower regular trains along its busy Washington, D.C.-to-Boston route and launched inspections on its Acela trains.

Amtrak President David Gunn said the trains would remain out of service for at least a few days. But if a proposed temporary fix doesn't work, the trains could be sidelined for weeks.

Other Amtrak trains that serve the Northeast Corridor will not be affected by the removal of the Acela, said Bill Schulz, an Amtrak spokesman. Amtrak has instituted a revised schedule that has filled the Acela slots with the all-reserved Metroliner and regional trains, he said.

The discovery of the defect is the latest setback for the financially strapped rail line, which lost $1.1 billion last year and needed $205 million from the federal government this summer to avert a nationwide shutdown.

Schulz said nine of the first 11 train sets inspected had problems. Each train set includes two locomotives, and each locomotive has four of the shock-absorbing "yaw dampers."

Discovery of cracks on three of the trains Monday evening during periodic maintenance prompted concern that the brackets and the shock absorbers could fall off, cause a derailment or create other problems, he said.

"Because it presents a serious safety concern, we took the highest level of precaution and removed the trains from service," Schulz said.

Schulz said the cracks present engineering and redesign issues that will take time for the manufacturer to remedy.

The Acela carries an estimated 10,000 of the 40,000 passengers who travel the busy Northeast Corridor every day.

The sleek Acela, which can reach speeds of 150 mph, was introduced less than two years ago as a high-speed service that would attract new customers and help revive the national rail line.

The Acela has been promoted as being 20 minutes faster from Washington, D.C., to New York than the Metroliner and 40 minutes faster than the regional train service. However, it has been plagued by equipment problems and unreliable service.

A week ago, Amtrak reported the Acela had experienced a poor on-time performance in July because of persistent equipment problems. It said 35 trains were canceled during the month before leaving the station or terminated before reaching their destination.

Amtrak announced earlier this month that all 18 of the high-speed trains need repairs and modifications. It declined to accept delivery of a 19th train, citing modifications that were not made.

Schulz said Amtrak hopes to avoid inconveniencing passengers who normally use the high-speed rail line.

"We seem to be able to accommodate most, if not all, the passengers with a minimum of delays," he said. "Clearly, the trains will be operating full, and we will make every effort to put as much equipment in service as possible."

For some passengers, yesterday was an ordeal.

"The train was packed and I had to stand," said Julio Francisco of Newark, after arriving in Philadelphia yesterday morning.

Amtrak has pledged to credit passengers for the difference in ticket prices between Acela Express and the trains they take. It also encouraged its passengers to check departures by visiting its Web site or calling (800) USA-RAIL.

The high-speed trains were built by a consortium of Canada's Bombardier Transportation and France's Alstom Ltd.

Carole Sharpe, a spokeswoman for Bombardier, said it is working with Amtrak on a plan to "find the root cause" and correct the problem to get the 18 Acela trains back in use as "quickly as possible."

Amtrak said the defective brackets are attached to large shock absorbers called yaw dampers. Each locomotive or power car has four yaw dampers that prevent horizontal swaying at high speeds.

The removal of the Acela comes on top of the severe cash crisis, a renewed effort in Congress to break up the national rail line and a series of other problems this summer.

Last month, an Amtrak train from Chicago to Washington derailed in Maryland, injuring more than 100 people. The rail line's popular Auto Train from Florida to Virginia also suffered a recent derailment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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