NARP August 2002 Hotlines

#254 - August 2, 2002
#255 - August 9, 2002
#255-A - August 14, 2002
#256 - August 16, 2002
#256-A - August 20, 2002
#256-B - August 21, 2002
#257 - August 23, 2002
#257-A - August 27, 2002
#258 - August 30, 2002

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Amtrak's eastbound Capitol Limited derailed on July 29, 12 miles before Washington, D.C. The train was approaching Kensington, Md., in the Washington suburbs, shortly after leaving Rockville, running at 60 mph. The engineer reported that moments before the accident, he saw that a stretch of track had shifted to one side -- consistent with a heat kink -- and applied the emergency brake. The locomotives made it through that spot, but the bi-level Superliner cars derailed onto an embankment and tipped over onto their sides.

By all accounts, emergency response was excellent. At first, passengers and crew helped with evacuation, followed quickly by local residents and local emergency response personnel, who worked efficiently despite the overwhelming heat and humidity that day. Carol Carmody, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, called the emergency response "remarkable." In the end, 101 people were taken to local hospitals, with eight remaining hospitalized as of August 1. There were 174 people on the train.

On July 25, an automatic track tamper broke down during a maintenance procedure, when the track was lifted 1.5 inches (so that fresh ballast could be inserted below the track). CSX workers using hand-held machines filled in ballast at the spot where the derailment occurred as late as the day before the wreck, but apparently the normal amount of tonnage passed over the line before the 25 mph slow order was removed. This does raise the question of how soon trackwork-related slow orders should be lifted during extraordinarily hot weather. The Amtrak train was authorized for 60 mph and would have been authorized for 70 mph but for the presence of a particular type of express car.

Investigators, of course, also will be looking at what, if anything, this accident has in common with the fatal Auto Train accident on April 18, which also appeared to involve a heat kink at a place where CSX had performed recent track maintenance.

CSX, until July 30, imposed "heat orders" only on freight trains, whose speeds are reduced 10 mph below otherwise applicable speed limits whenever the temperature has been over 90 degrees (for the second day in a row), or fluctuates more than 40 degrees in a 24-hour period. Such restrictions apply between the hours of 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

On July 30, CSX announced a new, ultra-conservative policy that would limit passenger trains to merchandise freight-train speeds when heat orders are in effect. Normal intermodal top speed limits are 60-70 mph, so those trains under heat orders run 50-60 mph. Normal merchandise speeds are 50-55 mph, so those trains -- and, now, passenger trains -- now run 40-45 mph. This means passenger trains run slower than CSX's own intermodal trains; it also means that Amtrak on the 110-mph Albany-Poughkeepsie line is limited to 40 mph (when such an order is in effect). However, CSX is meeting regularly with Amtrak and other carriers and it is possible that some passenger "heat-order" speeds will be increased soon.

Virginia Railway Express, in a July 31 message to its passengers, said, "Manassas Line trains will resume regular speed south of Alexandria when they switch over to tracks owned by Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern has not instituted heat restrictions at this time. They have also informed us that they are confident that our trains can safely travel over their tracks at normal speed."

CSX found two more, but smaller, heat kinks on its Washington-Brunswick line at mid-week -- again, in a place where maintenance was being performed. A slow order for 10 mph was applied in this case.

The July 29 accident blocked the CSX main line to Brunswick Line MARC commuter trains, and to the westbound Capitol Limited. That train was pulled backwards toward Baltimore by a MARC locomotive, then proceeded west over the "Old Main Line" to Point-of-Rocks, Md., where it rejoined its normal route. On July 30, MARC traffic was still blocked, and Capitol Limited passengers were bussed between Washington and Pittsburgh. MARC service was restored the afternoon of July 31.

Equipment placement becomes an even bigger problem for Amtrak now, as all cars on the derailed train had some level of damage, and three probably will be scrapped. The westbound departure of the Capitol Limited on July 31 was covered mostly by cars taken from that day's westbound Cardinal, which was annulled. Amtrak said it thought that train would be the only one cancelled. Amtrak President David Gunn directed some repairs on damaged Superliners, some in storage since 1993, to start right away.

Guilford Rail System, which owns part of the line used by Amtrak's Boston-Portland Downeaster service, was quick to draw a connection between the Capitol Limited derailment and Guilford's ongoing efforts to keep the Downeaster from going over 60 mph. Still, it's not exactly clear why heat kinks are a good argument for keeping Downeaster speed at a low level, no matter what the season or weather in Maine.

The Senate transportation appropriations bill for 2003, that was approved by the Appropriations Committee on July 25, is numbered S.2808. In addition to providing Amtrak with $1.2 billion, it would provide $30 million for high-speed rail programs (down from $32.3 million in 2002, but up from the Bush request of $23.2 million).

S.1991, the National Defense Rail Act, got its 39th sponsor this week (Johnson, D.-S.Dak.). This is an Amtrak and high-speed rail authorization bill that goes the farthest towards proposing stabilization and expansion of passenger rail service nationwide.

Amtrak and Caltrans are considering eliminating sit-down meal service on the San Joaquin trains in California, due to low volume of sales. They also are discussing options for what would replace the current set-up. If the volume of meals served went up and revenues increased by the time a decision has to be made, around October, it's possible the current service could be kept. Entrees have been altered, and their prices reduced, but it's possible not enough passengers are aware enough of the meal service to want to use it.

Amtrak has informed the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority that it will not compete in the next round of contract bids for running Boston's commuter-rail network, due to a series of changes in the proposed contract. In particular, MBTA proposes having the operator carry all the liability for passengers and equipment, and having the operator pay utility costs. Amtrak says such a contract would increase its costs and liabilities, putting Amtrak at risk of violating laws that prohibit Amtrak from subsidizing commuter services. Amtrak currently gets $180 million a year and likely is losing money on the contract; MBTA proposes $150 million a year. Three bidders are still in the running for a five-year contract starting July 1, 2003. Amtrak would like to retain dispatching functions on the Attleboro (Northeast Corridor) line, at its own expense.

A commuter-train passenger in the Boston area died on July 30, an hour after being removed from an MBTA train at Back Bay Station. The man began having symptoms of a heart attack three stops before Back Bay, but a conductor allowed the train to continue to Back Bay, in the belief that it would be easier and quicker to transfer the man to an ambulance there. Nevertheless, Amtrak, which operates the MBTA trains, soon revised its emergency procedures to make it clearer that, in such cases, trains in motion should go to the very next station and wait for an ambulance.

CSX will be doing a bridge project east of Springfield, Mass., meaning that Boston-Washington train 145 will run via Providence on August 5-6; train 54 (northbound Vermonter) will not run north of Springfield August 4, and trains 55-56 (Vermonter) will not run north of Springfield August 5-6. Bus transportation will be offered.

New York City Transit officials say that the subway line that has been out of service since the September 11 terror attacks will go back into service this coming September. That's two months earlier than previously planned. Officials say that the process of clearing debris from the 1-9 line went more quickly than expected.

Former Rep. Don Pease (D.-Ohio) died of a heart attack July 28, at the age of 70. He served in the House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993, and was a consistent supporter of passenger rail. After he retired, he taught at Oberlin College and was appointed by President Clinton to the Amtrak board of directors to a five-year term (1993-1998).

The Sierra Club, in a new report, looks at 49 transportation projects around the country and gives them a passing or failing grade in terms of whether they encourage sprawl or not. Several of the projects in "Smart Choices, Less Traffic" involve rail and intermodal projects (for example, Kenosha-Milwaukee commuter rail and Main Street Station in Richmond). There are also links to several other reports of interest. The Sierra Club says that "one of the best ways to curb sprawl is through wise transportation planning and investments," and that this can be done "by balancing funding between highways and public transportation."

"A large majority of Americans favor continuing federal subsidies to Amtrak," according to an August 5 Washington Post story. The story discusses a poll performed by the paper from July 26 to July 30, which was after Congress approved $205 million in supplemental funding for Amtrak operations through fiscal 2002, and after the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $1.2 billion for Amtrak in 2003.

There were 1,012 randomly selected, adult respondents to the poll, which has a margin of error of three percentage points. Those called were first told that "... Amtrak lost over a billion dollars last year and relies on loans and subsidies from the federal government to keep running." They were asked to pick from three options on what to do about Amtrak -- 51% said to keep federal funding at current levels, 20% said to increase funding ("even if it means Amtrak might lose more money"), and 17% said to end all aid ("even if it means that passenger train service in some parts of the country will be shut down").

A second, follow-up question went to the 51% who said to keep funding at current levels -- "If you had to choose, are you more inclined to end all federal aid to Amtrak or to increase federal aid to Amtrak?" Of the 51%, 58% said they leaned toward an increase, and 29% said they leaned toward ending all funding. The Post went on to say that combining the results of the two questions means that 49% lean toward or are in favor of more Amtrak funding, 31% lean toward or favor cutting Amtrak, and 7% favor current funding. Both Democrats and Republicans were more likely to favor increased funding, as were members of every age group.

The article had a reaction from the Bush Administration, saying that the poll should have asked people's opinions on things like operational efficiencies and state partnerships. Still, one would hope that a poll like this would help Administration leaders focus on how to get more service, not just on how to minimize the federal funding role.

The key message to all legislators while the House and Senate are in summer recess (with many members back in their home districts or state) -- Get $1.2 billion for Amtrak in fiscal 2003. Even though the Senate Appropriations Committee approved this level (in S.2808), much work remains to be done, given opposition to it in the House and the Bush Administration. Also working against us is the fact that the compromise that trimmed down the supplemental appropriations bill, enabling its passage, including cutting homeland security money that the Administration wanted and will continue to push for in the 2003 appropriations bill. Click here for ways to contact legislators.

President Bush signed into law on August 2 the emergency supplemental appropriations bill, H.R.4775 (making it Public Law number 107-206). The many provisions in this bill included $205 million for Amtrak operations through the rest of this fiscal year (through September 30).

NARP issued a statement on August 5 relating to CSX's reaction to the Capitol Limited derailment of July 29. The systemwide requirement that passenger trains go 10 mph slower than normal manifest freight train speeds -- that is, the same speed as manifest freights during hot weather --- may be an overreaction to an accident that more likely was caused by the premature lifting of a 15-mph slow order one day after track work where the derailment occurred. CSX's current approach is more stringent than what other railroads do and means on hot days passenger trains go slower than CSX intermodal freight trains. NARP wants those involved to examine "the relationship between very hot weather and the process of removing trackwork-related slow orders."

MARC, in particular, suffered from the CSX issues into this week. To make matters still worse, on August 5, a computer breakdown at CSX's dispatching center in Jacksonville, followed by a failure to fax out train orders, crippled MARC's afternoon schedule. MARC ridership on CSX lines was off 40% going into this week. Operations improved later in the week as Washington's heat wave lifted -- but the heat is returning to Washington this weekend.

Amtrak's Acela Express July on-time performance was 74%, an all-time low. During July, 29 trains were cancelled, and six annulled en-route, due to mechanical problems. As a result, Amtrak may make some schedule changes south of New York, slightly reducing Acela Express service. Amtrak President David Gunn told the Washington Post that he would order no more such trains in the future, though he said Amtrak might order more cars for the train sets. Capacity on each Acela Express train was planned for 345 when the trains were ordered in 1996; and later was cut to 304 due to FRA-imposed safety requirements -- but the Post points out that some of the Metroliners they replaced have been carrying over 400 per trip.

Amtrak accepted the 18 trains from manufacturer Bombardier conditionally, to get them into service quickly. But, since each train needs a different set of "fixes," getting everything right will take longer. To avoid expanding the problem, Amtrak recently refused to accept the 19th train. A total of 20 sets was ordered.

Nevertheless, the trains are popular with passengers -- when they work properly -- and have played a key role in the ridership increases the Northeast Corridor has experienced. In June, in spite of well publicized threats to Amtrak's continued operations, combined Acela Express/Metroliner ridership was up 16% from a year ago (and revenues up 35%); Acela Regional ridership was down 5% (and revenues flat). Acela Express/Metroliner ridership was up 23% in May.

Another train set with delays has been the Turbotrain, a New York State project. Seven sets are being rebuilt by Super Steel in Schenectady, N.Y. The first set was delivered to Amtrak at Rensselaer on August 8, for an anticipated 30 days of test running. Assuming tests are completed successfully, Amtrak is expected to accept delivery and start revenue service. Super Steel plans to release the next set in about three months, and have all seven done by the end of 2003. The trains are about two years late, partly due to lengthy removal of asbestos and lead paint from the 1970's-era equipment. Total costs have risen from $65 million to about $95 million.

Amtrak released a report on the July 30 incident in which a passenger had a fatal heart attack on an MBTA commuter train (operated by Amtrak under contract) headed for Boston. The report, released August 3, concludes that the conductor was "in error" for not holding the train at West Newton to wait for emergency response or, alternatively, for not requesting CSX dispatcher permission to run the train express to Back Bay. The conductor had the train proceed to Back Bay, making two intermediate stops, in the belief that it would be easier and quicker to transfer the man to an ambulance there. The report also said the conductor did not notify dispatchers quickly enough of the true nature of the emergency. The report's finding was expected to lead to disciplinary action against the conductor as early as this week. MBTA is reviewing safety and emergency response policies, and Amtrak has told employees in its New England Division to stop trains at the next station, in such cases.

Meanwhile, defibrillators -- machines that can treat heart-attack victims until medical personnel arrive -- are becoming more common in public places, and may become very common in the next 5-10 years. There are now portable defibrillators that cost $3000, weigh under five pounds, and can be operated in an emergency by non-medical personnel (i.e., bystanders) who follow automated verbal instructions written at a sixth-grade comprehension level. Studies of putting defibrillators in more public places are ongoing. They are now required on airplanes. After they were installed at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, the survival rate for sudden heart attacks jumped to 69% (compared to 2% in the rest of the city). Washington Metro has defibrillators, and Amtrak has a pilot program for them.

Bicycle and baggage carriage shrank again this week with the elimination of the Amtrak baggage car on the Vermonter. All points north of New Haven lose all checked baggage service (except Springfield still has it east-west only, on the Lake Shore Limited). Vermont, which earlier this year had roll-on bike access to 100% of its train service, now has no such service left. Amtrak cited its cash problems and low usage of the services.

The Southwest Chief will be the location of the premier showing of a new documentary on the Amtrak train's illustrious predecessor, the Santa Fe Railway's Super Chief. This will take place on the eastbound train's departure from Albuquerque on August 15. The film is entitled "Super Chief:  Speed, Style, Service," narrated by actor Michael Gross. He and producer Richard Luckin will personally introduce the film and discuss passenger rail history with Amtrak passengers. Luckin also will show the film on the westbound Chief when it leaves Chicago on August 17. Tapes of the documentary will be available on board.

Railroad watercolor artist Ted Rose passed away at his home in Santa Fe, N.Mex., on July 26, aged 61. He was well known for his commission of a series of railroad locomotive postage stamps a few years ago. Rose, a native of Milwaukee, was a member of NARP.

Maine has new Amtrak Thruway bus services since August 1, in partnership with Concord Trailways. Buses connect with Downeaster trains in Portland. There are two routes connecting Portland and Bangor with daily service -- non-stop via I-95, three times a day, taking two hours; and with several stops via (mostly) US 1, twice a day, taking four hours. Other seasonal and/or Sunday service runs along US 1, and also serves Bowdoin College (Brunswick) and the University of Maine (Orono). An Amtrak bulletin said that schedules and fares were already in Arrow, but they could not be pulled up on Amtrak's web site as of August 9.

VIA Rail Canada will reroute its overnight Toronto-Montreal night train, the Enterprise, through Ottawa on October 27. The train uses two Renaissance train sets, part of a larger fleet that VIA bought from Alstom a couple of years ago. The Renaissance cars have somewhat smaller dimensions than most North American cars, and were built for English Channel tunnel sleeping car services to British points north of London. Though the cars were built, the British routes never entered service. VIA began using the cars on the Enterprise on June 23, and plans to convert the Ocean and Chaleur to Renaissance equipment in 2003.

Transport Canada is considering a rail-renewal program in the range of $1.25-1.88 billion to be used to improve various types of rail infrastructure over four-to-eight years, according to the Ottawa Citizen (August 3). The purpose of the investment would be to help Canada cut greenhouse gas emissions, cut truck traffic at snarled border crossings, and help the finances of short-line railroads. Investment items being considered would include strengthening short lines to handle heavier freight cars, upgraded traffic control systems, and more grade-separations in urban areas. While not specifically targeted at the country's passenger carrier, VIA Rail, passenger rail would be helped by the initiative to the extent that investments are made in lines used by VIA's trains.

Discovery of a crack in a component of an Acela Express train set late on August 12 led to cancellation of most Acela Express services on August 13 and 14 -- and likely for a few more days, at the least, beyond that.

The crack was found in a bracket supporting yaw dampers -- a sort of shock absorber for lateral movement -- on an Acela Express power car that was undergoing programmed, 92-day maintenance at Boston. Amtrak ordered the other 17 Acela Express sets to be checked for the same problem, and of the first ten sets examined, only two were damage-free. Those two sets remained in service, but are getting extra inspection at the end of each trip.

The fact that only two Acela Express train sets have been running has caused great disruption on the Northeast Corridor, with Amtrak scrambling to accommodate passengers. They were transferred to slower Acela Regional trains, subject to delay and crowding. Passengers who were downgraded were eligible for partial refunds. The bracket problem is certainly costing Amtrak a lot in terms of reduced revenues, added costs, and bad publicity.

Amtrak and Bombardier, the manufacturer of the trains, are working on a temporary solution -- subject to approval by the Federal Railroad Administration. If that happens, service could be back within days, as thicker, replacement components are installed on the trains by Bombardier. Otherwise, designing, testing, and installing permanent, replacement components could take weeks.

An interesting review by the Washington Post, from August 14, is at their web site.

See Amtrak's web site for a 20% discount offer launched today.

[Continues with text from #255 of August 9.]

Northeast Corridor service was disrupted after an August 12 equipment inspection revealed a potentially dangerous flaw in a component of an Acela Express train set. Further inspections found the same flaw in 14 of the 18 existing train sets; and, later on, also in one of the new HHP-8 electric locomotives.

The flaw has taken the form of cracking on a bracket that holds a yaw damper (a type of shock absorber for lateral movement of wheel sets, at high speeds) in place against the frames of Acela Express power cars and HHP-8 locomotives. Cracking in this location was identified as a potential problem during testing of the equipment (1999-2000), but safety officials at the time felt that with proper inspection, future cracking could be caught before the bracket itself failed.

That inspection process is how the problem got discovered, late on August 12. Amtrak said it was afraid of the damage that a bracket failure could, conceivably, cause. If the bracket and/or the yaw damper broke off during high-speed operation of the train, it would pose a threat to the train itself (by getting lodged in the wheels), or a passing train, or even people or structures along the track. Therefore, Amtrak acted immediately, by restricting Acela Express speeds the rest of that day, and canceling all Acela Express service August 13 so it could inspect all 18 train sets. Two sets ran August 14. Amtrak hoped to run five sets August 15, but a crack was found in one of them, so all Acela Express service was cancelled again. On August 15, the first HHP-8 crack was found.

Disruption to Northeast Corridor passengers ensued, as Amtrak struggled to field conventional equipment to accommodate passengers, and struggled to provide up-to-date information to passengers when events were changing so rapidly. Amtrak is providing refunds to Acela Express passengers for the difference between their ticket and the accommodation they end up using. By today, Amtrak was running about 115 of the Corridor's 140 departures, using Amfleet equipment, older AEM-7 electric locomotives, and some locomotives borrowed from commuter agencies. Metroliner service, which as been in the process of being phased out by Acela Express, was restored to some time slots.

Amtrak, Bombardier (the builder of the equipment), and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are working to fix the problem. Bombardier has supplied slightly thicker brackets to replace broken ones, and with the temporary fix, Amtrak hoped (as of yesterday) that some Acela Express service could return in the coming week, and full service the week of August 26. As of today, it wasn't clear if that schedule could be met, and Bombardier was to present short-term proposals to Amtrak. In the longer term, Bombardier will work on redesign of the bracket that will require testing and FRA approval.

Before August 12, Amtrak was working on a slightly reduced Acela Express schedule in order to provide more breathing room to deal with decreasing reliability of the new trains. Clearly, the disruptions of this week are putting on hold whatever changes Amtrak had been considering earlier.

The problems have called into question Amtrak's decision to buy "untested" technology, rather than buy European equipment "off-the-shelf." The practicality of doing so, however, is murky, given the extensive redesign that any European equipment would have required to meet U.S. safety standards.

Still, the trains are very popular with riders, when they are reliable. Fixable mechanical problems, if properly addressed, ought not cast a shadow on the future of Acela Express in the Northeast, nor on higher-speed services elsewhere in the U.S. The reasons for developing such services -- highway congestion, airport problems, energy consumption, etc. -- remain present, despite what is happening to Acela Express now.

Amtrak has a 20% travel discount promotion going for tickets purchased on its web site. Tickets must be purchased by September 2 for travel from August 17 through November 15, with reservations made at least three days before start of travel. Some black-out dates (like Labor Day weekend) apply. The discount is not good for Acela Express, Metroliner, or Downeaster. In addition to the 20% discount, purchasers get double Amtrak Guest Rewards points, and there is a chance to win $500 in Amtrak travel. Be sure to read the notice about the discount before trying to book it on the reservations section of the web site.

Lower Manhattan is closer to getting a new transit center that links the New York City subway system with the PATH system from New Jersey, as a result of an agreement between the city, the state, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The project, located in an area around the former World Trade Center site, can benefit from $4.55 billion in federal disaster relief money, according to an announcement made August 12. This is a departure for FEMA, which traditionally has allowed funding only for rebuilding assets that previously existed. State and local officials, in this case, were able to convince FEMA to fund a project that would not only restore services that existed before, but improve them through better linkages. The money is part of an overall $21 billion in disaster relief already approved by the federal government.

A pick-up truck that drove into the locomotive of the eastbound California Zephyr this morning delayed the train by three hours. The accident occurred just west of Lincoln, Neb.

Amtrak and Bombardier made great progress repairing Acela Express equipment over the weekend, working together under federal oversight. That allowed Amtrak to run nine of its 18 Acela Express train sets on August 19, including 60% of the Acela Express departures.

Some of the remaining nine sets should be running by the end of the week, leaving perhaps three or four to go. Also, the 15 HHP-8 electric locomotives should be back in service by the end of the week.

While necessary for safety reasons, the removal of the equipment last week caused a certain amount of disruption and confusion for travelers. Still, the rapid progress over the weekend gives reason for optimism that Amtrak and Bombardier will be able to work together to make the equipment more reliable.

[Continues with text from #256 of August 16.]

Amtrak and Bombardier had made great progress repairing Acela Express equipment over the weekend, working together under federal oversight. That allowed Amtrak to run nine of its 18 Acela Express train sets on August 19. But the discovery on August 20 of new cracks caused some of those sets to be removed from service, and only two sets ran today.

Additional, fine cracks have been found in the power cars' side sills, very near the spot where the yaw damper brackets are bolted to them. More than 100 engineers have been assigned to repairing the brackets and sills. Amtrak now believes that the Acela Express train sets and HHP-8 electric locomotives will be out of service at least another few days.

[Continues with text from #256 of August 16.]

Reduced service on the Northeast Corridor continues, as most Acela Express sets and HHP-8 locomotives remain out of service. Amtrak and Bombardier had made great progress repairing Acela Express equipment last weekend, working together under federal oversight. That allowed Amtrak to run nine of its 18 Acela Express train sets on August 19. But the discovery on August 20 of new cracks caused some of those sets to be removed from service, and only two sets ran August 21. Five sets ran August 22 and 23.

Additional, fine cracks were found in the power cars' side sills earlier this week, very near the spot where the yaw damper brackets are bolted to them. More than 100 engineers have been assigned to repairing brackets and sills.

The 15 HHP-8 electric locomotives, part of the overall Acela Express order, also have had yaw damper bracket problems. One ran in service on August 22.

As of today, Amtrak has no prediction as to when service will return to normal, though repair work and inspections continue. Amtrak has a list of Acela Express trains running through the weekend at its web site.

The National Transportation Safety Board on August 22 issued an investigation update on the derailment of Amtrak's Capitol Limited at Kensington, Md., on CSX tracks on July 29. The statement said that signal and mechanical (rolling stock) systems seemed to be in proper condition, and said that a majority of injured passengers who were interviewed reported no problems evacuating the train through emergency exits.

The NTSB statement did, however, elaborate on track condition, as a heat-related kinking of the rail is a suspected factor in the accident. Referring to track work performed at the scene on July 22, the statement said, "About half way through the work, the tamping machine broke and the work was temporarily finished using a pneumatic hand tamper. A 25-mph slow order was then placed on the track until the work [could be finished with the repaired mechanical tamper]. The track work remained incomplete at the time of the accident due to delays from weather and other work. Several days after the start of the track maintenance, a track supervisor, who thought the repair work had been completed, lifted the slow order, and the maximum allowable speed of 60 mph was in effect for the accident train." Investigation continues.

An August 23 Associated Press story on the NTSB statement managed to mangle what the NTSB actually said -- "Report: Amtrak Train Was Speeding -- An Amtrak train was going more than twice as fast as it should have been when it derailed last month because a speed restriction had been prematurely lifted ..." Only later in the story does it become apparent that the Amtrak train was going as fast as CSX said it could. "It was a procedural error. The slow order should not have been lifted," said a CSX spokesman in the AP story.

Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have begun their $140-million partnership to modernize the Keystone Corridor (Philadelphia-Harrisburg), according to an August 21 statement from Rep. George Gekas (R.). Work has already begun on signal upgrades and catenary renewal; tie replacement and installation of welded rail start next month, east of Middletown.

Albany's Capital District Transportation Authority said on August 17 that it had reached a tentative agreement on a station lease with Amtrak. The new, $53-million station, adjacent to the current Amtrak station in Rensselaer, is largely completed, but vacant. Rensselaer is Amtrak's tenth-busiest station. After a final agreement is reached, it could still take three weeks for the actual move to take place. The station project has been delayed by cost overruns, and by Amtrak's financial situation.

Amtrak's Boston-Portland Downeaster had a record month in July in terms of ridership and revenue. The revenue projection for the first year, $3.3 million by December 15, should be surpassed during August. Ridership is about on goal for the year. The more rapid progress in revenues, compared to ridership, appears to be due to more people than expected riding the full length of the route, and more people than expected using business class.

Amtrak's northbound Coast Starlight struck an unidentified object on Union Pacific tracks at Hayward, Cal. (between San Jose and Oakland), on August 21, derailing the locomotive. Five cars also derailed, all remaining upright and in line. There were seven minor passenger injuries. Passengers were bussed to Sacramento to board the southbound train, which was terminated there and turned north. Southbound passengers were to transfer to various buses, a San Joaquin, and a Capitol Corridor train. Capitol Corridor service, which uses a different line through the area, was not affected.

Union Pacific problems led to cancellation of all Amtrak trains between St. Louis and Kansas City on August 21. UP was experiencing excessive freight-train congestion on the line, with some trains stopped and awaiting new crews.

A rally was held in Atlanta on August 21 to push for high-speed rail service between that city and Washington. It was sponsored by a coalition of 14 chambers of commerce stretching from Birmingham to Richmond, and was attended by Members of Congress, business executives, and transportation workers from six states.

The Surface Transportation Board on August 21 made a ruling affecting the Pacific Surfliner route north of San Diego. The STB said that the City of Encinitas (just south of Oceanside) can't require the track owner, North County Transit District, to obtain a local or state permit before building a 1.7-mile second track. The mayor said an appeal was likely, with city officials saying that the STB ruling was a "serious blow" to California's "fragile and precious coastline" and that the second track serves "no appreciable service level benefit." The second track, to be built with state funds, is needed to accommodate more efficiently the several services on the line -- Amtrak, Coaster commuter trains, and BNSF freight trains. The city wanted the railroad to put both tracks into a trench, which increases the project's cost from $6.2 million to $237 million.

The STB cited a 1994 Interstate Commerce Commission ruling stating that the Transit District's ownership of the former Santa Fe line meant that it controlled interstate freight operations over that line, meaning that local and state agencies have no jurisdiction over it.

A commuter rail line is being considered for Las Vegas, according to an August 16 Associated Press story. A route being looked at by the Regional Transportation Commission would run from a bus transfer station on the south end of the Strip, and run 11 miles south and east to Henderson, on Union Pacific tracks.

Construction will begin this fall on a light-rail branch in St. Louis. The new Metrolink route, to open late in 2005, will run from the existing line at Forest Park west to Clayton, then south to Shrewsbury, 8.2 miles. The line will cost $550 million, made more expensive by demands for noise mitigation in an affluent Forest Park neighborhood. A 3.5-mile extension east from Belleville, Ill., will open about a year from now.

State officials in Georgia want to try to buy rail lines, rather than lease them, as they plan for future Atlanta-Macon passenger service, according to the August 16 Macon Telegraph. That will cost a lot more up front -- Norfolk Southern has said it wants $360 million -- but would give the state more control in the long run. Talks between Norfolk Southern and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority continue.

Amtrak ran 17 Acela Express departures through August 27, but has plans to run 23 departures on August 28 and 29, as more trains sets are repaired. That means five Boston-New York round trips (up from four), seven New York-Washington trips (up from five) and six Washington-New York trips (up from four). See Amtrak's site for latest information.

Clarification -- We reported on August 23 about an Associated Press story from the same date about the NTSB's August 22 statement. We said that the story "managed to mangle what the NTSB actually said -- 'Report: Amtrak Train Was Speeding -- An Amtrak train was going more than twice as fast as it should have been when it derailed last month because a speed restriction had been prematurely lifted ...' Only later in the story does it become apparent that the Amtrak train was going as fast as CSX said it could."

Since then, we have learned that AP did not write that headline at all. Rather, the headline was written by editors at the Yahoo! web site, which sends AP wire stories to people who sign up for the service. Also, the original version of the AP story, written for release within Maryland, had a clearer leading sentence. A later national version -- the version picked up by Yahoo! -- had a somewhat vaguer leading sentence. Both the Maryland and national versions had clearer headlines than the one Yahoo! chose to use -- respectively, "Track work unfinished at Amtrak wreck site" and "Report: Speed limit had been lifted on section of track where Amtrak train derailed." Both accurately reflect the message in the NTSB report.

[Continues with text from #257 of August 23.]

Amtrak increased the number of Acela Express departures from 17 last weekend to 23 at midweek, as repaired equipment was gradually returned to service. That level of 23 continued into today. A normal weekday would have about 50 departures. A reduced schedule will be run through the holiday weekend -- 12 departures on August 31 and September 1; 16 on September 2. Seven train sets will be available, down from a normal level of 15 (of 18 total that Amtrak possesses). Updates are being posted on Amtrak's web site.
<http://www.amtrak.com/press/acelaupdate.html>

Repairs, and talks involving a more permanent fix to the problem, will continue between Amtrak, manufacturer Bombardier, and safety regulator Federal Railroad Administration. A stepped-up inspection program also continues.

This weekend will be the busiest travel period since the yaw damper bracket problem was first identified on August 12. And, when Labor Day is over, a more normal, busy weekday travel period will begin (as opposed to August, when business travel demand is depressed as a matter of course), so repair progress will be very important to accommodating the traveling public and keeping their confidence.

Congress' summer recess is drawing to a close; the House and Senate return on September 3. There is wide acknowledgement that the various authorization bills that have to do with Amtrak, high-speed rail, or both, have little chance of passage in the few remaining legislative days before the 107th Congress adjourns for good.

More pressing are the annual appropriations bills, on which there has been less progress than normal. Normally, appropriations bills start in the House and are sent to the Senate, but with one month to go in fiscal 2002, the House has yet to introduce a fiscal 2003 transportation appropriations bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee on July 25 approved a bill, S.2808, that included the $1.2 billion Amtrak says it needs to make it through fiscal 2003. The full Senate still has to approve that bill. It's important for both the House and Senate bills to include $1.2 billion for Amtrak, so that a stable system can be operated while Congress comes back in 2003 to renew the debate on passenger rail's long-term future.

See last week's hotline for a clarification on an August 23 Associated Press story about the National Transportation Safety Board's report on the July 29 derailment at Kensington, Md.

A bill allowing California voters to consider a high-speed rail bond proposal moved forward August 29, when the state Assembly approved bill SB 1856, by a 59-11 margin (54 was the two-thirds level required for passage). The state Senate, which already has approved the bill once, was expected to approve the amended Assembly version today, and Governor Davis is expected to sign the bill.

The proposed ballot measure, to be considered in the fall 2004 election, provides for $9.95 billion in bond revenues to go to rail projects around the state. By far, the biggest amount, $9.0 billion, would go to the proposed high-speed rail project. The total cost of the 700-mile project, stretching from Sacramento and the Bay Area to Los Angeles and San Diego, is $26 billion. The $9.0 billion would be concentrated on the Bay Area-Los Angeles trunk of the system. The measure's remaining $950 million would be divided between conventional passenger rail projects around the state ($190 million) and rail transit ($760 million).

The step forward for the ballot initiative is welcome news, indeed. But one cannot help wondering how much further along California -- and other states -- would be with their passenger rail plans if the federal government were a credible funding partner. As it is, Uncle Sam tells states to choose between highway and aviation projects by providing a ready funding share, and by providing virtually nothing to states that want to invest in passenger rail. California deserves praise for moving forward despite all that, but it is wrong that it should have to do so with no help from Washington.

The object involved in the August 21 derailment of Amtrak's Coast Starlight at Hayward, Cal., has been identified as a broken drawbar that fell off of a freight train earlier. The metal bar was 40 inches long, and was struck by the Amtrak train as it approached at 65 mph on Union Pacific tracks.

Amtrak could move into the new Albany/Rensselaer station in mid-September. The Capital District Transportation Authority, which built and owns the new station, sent Amtrak an operating agreement and lease on August 23. Amtrak's legal department has been going over the proposal this week.

There was a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Harrisburg International Airport terminal on August 27. It is expected to open in summer 2004, and will include a station on Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, replacing the current Middletown stop. The complex, parts of which are up to 700 feet apart, will be linked together with enclosed, elevated walkways and moving sidewalks in some places.

A locomotive breakdown stranded 282 Amtrak passengers and crew in the heat of coastal South Carolina on August 24. The southbound Silver Meteor, running a few hours late, came to a stop at Bonneau, halfway between Kingstree and Charleston. The locomotive had a computer problem that, among other things, knocked out the train's air-conditioning. A local Red Cross chapter coordinated with two local churches to take in passengers to provide some relief from the heat. Four passengers were taken to a hospital for examination.

A form of passenger train service will return to Galveston, Tex., this holiday weekend, with the start of a demonstration project. The project is meant to test rail service as a long-term alternative to the increasingly congested I-45 drawbridge, which is the direct road link between Galveston Island and the Houston area. The Texas Gulfliner will make two fare-free round trips from League City (halfway between Houston and Galveston) and Galveston on September 1 and 2.

Reservations are needed -- information is at 1-877-425-7245. The service uses Amtrak cars and Union Pacific tracks. A $750,000 federal grant also will provide rail service during the Dickens on the Strand Festival in December and Mardi Gras and Memorial Day in 2003 -- all times when the highway is at peak congestion. If the service works out, it could be extended to Houston. A privately operated excursion train ran between Houston and Galveston from 1989 to 1994. Another resort area with similar congestion problems, Cape May, N.J., has had a successful rail shuttle for some years now.

The first rebuilt Turbotrain made a test run from Rensselaer to New York late on August 27, and the New York State Department of Transportation said the run was successful. More testing followed during the week. If additional test are also successful, the train could enter operation in Albany service within the next few weeks.