WASHINGTON: The high-speed Acela service that connects Washington with New York and Boston by rail is temporarily closed down because of “cracks in disc brakes”.
The train service, operated by Amtrak, consists of 15 weekday round trips between New York and Washington and 11 trips between New York and Boston. It carries nearly 9000 passengers on weekdays on these routes.
Amtrak’s COO Bill Crosbie said all Acela services will be suspended at least through Wednesday. There could be further delay in some cases. He said the company’s engineers have found millimeter-sized cracks in 300 of the fleet’s total of 1400 disc brake rotors.
"We're very early into this, and it would take more than two months to do all the repairs, depending on the availability of replacement parts,” said Crosbie.
The new fault has come at a time when Amtrak is already under pressure for funds. A Senate committee is scheduled to discuss Bush Administration’s proposal to end subsidy for the company and undertake a restructuring of the train services in the country. The current budget gives the company $1.2 billion in operating subsidies and capital investment.
The Administration’s plan is being opposed by Northeast lawmakers, who fear the move will destroy Amtrak and lead to extinction of rail services in many parts of the country.
The Acela service was launched in December 2000 and was expected to resurrect the ailing Amtrak. The trains are capable of speeds reaching 150 m.p.h. and provide amenities like conference tables in passenger cars, pub-style cafe cars and headphone outlets.
On Friday, the company pressed slower trains into service on the Washington-Boston route. It said the extra trains could not compensate for the lost Acela seats. People with reservations who cannot purchase a ticket on another train — or don't want one — are entitled to a refund, the company said.
The rakes’ manufacturer, Bombardier, did not come out with any explanation for the cracks.
