(Reuters circulated the following article on July 11.)
WASHINGTON — Amtrak on Monday resumed limited high-speed Acela rail service between Washington and New York after fixing cracked brake discs that had sidelined the popular trains since mid-April.
The national passenger railroad is running a morning and afternoon departure from the two cities, with four sets of engines and cars available for service.
Prior to the discovery of cracks in more than 300 brake discs, Amtrak had run 15 weekday round-trips between New York and Washington and 11 between New York and Boston.
Financially strapped Amtrak estimates it lost about 5 percent of its ridership, to airlines and highways, while the Acela trains have been out of service.
“We’re very glad to begin rolling these trains back into service this week,” said Bill Crosbie, Amtrak’s chief of operations, said in a statement. The trains had generated roughly $1 million in revenue per week, with about 10,000 passengers.
There was no timetable for restoring all 20 Acela trains by replacing the discs with a redesigned part. Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said Amtrak was “starting modestly on purpose.”
The manufacturer produced an all-new design of the disc which had to be cast, assembled and then tested.
The Acela trains were particularly popular among business travelers. They covered the distance between New York and Washington in about two hours and 45 minutes and New York and Boston in three hours and 20 minutes.
Amtrak has temporarily replaced Acela service with slower Metroliner trains which have fewer amenities.
Acela was manufactured by a consortium of Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. (BBDsvb.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) and Alstom SA (ALSO.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) of France. It was introduced in 2000 as the first and only high-speed train service in the United States.
The brake systems were made by Germany’s Knorr-Bremse AG, which subcontracted the disc construction, Amtrak said.
Amtrak has never made a profit and is $4 billion in debt.
The Bush administration proposed no federal operating subsidies for the national passenger rail system in the next fiscal year. However, U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers have approved $1.17 billion for Amtrak while the Senate has yet to act on funding.