Hotline #256 - August 16, 2002

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.