Hotline #256-B - August 21, 2002

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.