(The following Reuters story by John Crawley was published in the Boston Globe on January 29)
WASHINGTON – Amtrak and the makers of its Acela trains have agreed on a plan to permanently fix suspension system cracks on locomotives that prompted the railroad to temporarily halt the express service last year, the government said yesterday.
The Federal Railroad Administration said it has no objections to plans by a consortium led by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. to replace steel suspension system brackets with new ones.
”They will be more robust,” Bombardier spokeswoman Carol Sharpe said of the new yaw damper components. They attach to the locomotive undercarriage and smooth out the ride by reducing sway as the train travels up to 150 miles per hour.
Since the most serious Acela problem was discovered last August, Amtrak has been making temporary repairs to cracked brackets and regularly inspecting suspension systems to keep most of the Acela fleet rolling.
Bombardier said it will begin installing thicker brackets next week, and testing of the new equipment is scheduled for the following week.
There is no cost estimate or timetable for completing the modifications and tests.
The new parts are reinforced and cover a larger area at their attachment points on the engine.
Bombardier will also replace and test similar brackets on its JetTrain. That product is similar in design to the electrified Acela but is powered by turbine engines.
The US government invested $13 million in JetTrain development but its use in the United States is clouded by debate in Congress over the future of high-speed rail.
Bombardier and Amtrak met with railroad regulators nearly two weeks ago to review the permanent bracket repair, and the government had no objections, a railroad administration spokesman said.
The sleek Acela has had a history of glitches since Amtrak unveiled it in December 2000 on its Northeast corridor between Boston and Washington.
While popular with passengers – particularly business customers seeking an alternative to flying – Acela has struggled to meet on-time performance goals and has been hampered by mechanical difficulties.
Amtrak and Bombardier have sued each other over delivery of the Acela program.
The suspension system problems prompted a temporary halt to premium Acela Express service last summer. Those runs have gradually returned but some trains remain out of service.
Amtrak has 19 Acela Express trains but only 13 are in service. The railroad is trying to maximize their use by turning them around faster at the end of a run.