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August 15, 2002
WASHINGTON -- Two Acela Express trains returned to service under a stepped-up inspection schedule Wednesday while Amtrak raced to fix an equipment problem that kept the rest of the high-speed fleet sidelined for a second day.
Amtrak planned to reactivate three other Acela Express trains today, bringing the working fleet to five.
The passenger railroad owns 18 of the bullet-nosed trains, which run along the Boston-New York-Washington corridor at speeds up to 150 mph. Until this week, Amtrak typically sent 15 of the trains into duty each day.
All 18 trains, important moneymakers for Amtrak, were pulled from service Tuesday after inspectors discovered cracks in brackets that attach shock absorbers to the locomotives.
Amtrak officials said they feared the assemblies, known as yaw dampers, could fall off a moving train, damaging its underside or possibly derailing another train. The function of the yaw dampers is to prevent swaying, which can increase wear and tear to rails and train wheels.
In a note to Amtrak workers, Amtrak president David Gunn said the trains could return to service in a few days if a temporary fix gets the approval of railroad and federal government officials.
"But I don't want to raise expectations here," Gunn wrote. "The problem is serious and will require a permanent solution. We are not out of the woods by any measure."
Sixteen trains had been inspected as of late Wednesday afternoon. Cracks or fractures were found in at least one stainless steel bracket on 11 of them, Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Van Veen said. Those trains could remain out of service for days, or weeks, depending on how quickly Amtrak and the train's builders can devise a suitable fix.
The Acela trains are made by Bombardier of North America and France's Alstom Ltd. Carol Sharpe, a spokeswoman for Bombardier, said the company sent Amtrak 40 replacement brackets that are "sturdier and thicker" than the ones initially installed on the trains. She said testing on the new parts was continuing.
The two trains that returned to service, plus the others that were to be back on the tracks today, will be inspected at the end of each trip until further notice, Van Veen said.
Passengers stepping off the first Acela Express to reach Washington on Wednesday reported no problems.
The first problem was discovered Monday during a periodic maintenance inspection of an Acela Express train in Boston. Amtrak pulled all the trains out of service on Tuesday and filled scheduled gaps with slower trains. About 10,000 people ride Acela Express trains on a typical weekday.
Amtrak had been going through an exceptionally tough period even before the latest problems.
A budget shortfall of $205-million nearly forced the passenger railroad to shut down service nationwide this summer, but the federal government eventually came to Amtrak's aid.
Short on cash, Amtrak has also been unable to repair more than 100 cars awaiting repairs at shops in Indiana and Delaware, a problem made worse by last month's derailment in Maryland that damaged still more cars.
Even before the latest discovery, Amtrak had announced that the 18 high-speed trains need repairs and modifications. The passenger railroad declined to accept delivery of a 19th train, citing modifications that were not made.