(Reuters circulated the following article on June 9.)
WASHINGTON — Brake cracks that abruptly idled Amtrak Acela trains this spring appear to be fatigue-related, a senior official at the railroad said Thursday, adding that partial service should resume in July and full operations in the fall.
William Crosbie, Amtrak’s chief of operations, said after a congressional hearing that preliminary data made available to the railroad this week showed cracks on more than 300 brake discs were likely caused by a fatigue problem.
The railroad removed all 20 problem-plagued Acela trains after the discovery of the cracked steel discs in April during a routine inspection of passenger cars by federal rail officials. Acela locomotives were not affected.
The company has since been working with brake and train manufacturers to devise a solution and a new Acela inspection and service schedule.
Amtrak normally operates 15 Acela Express weekday round-trips between New York and Washington and 11 between New York and Boston, serving about 10,000 passengers.
Amtrak will probably resume service with up to four peak-hour trains this summer before phasing in the remaining schedule, William Crosbie, Amtrak’s chief of operations, said in an interview after a congressional hearing.
The premium Acela trains, aimed at business travelers, generate roughly $1 million in revenue per week. Financially strapped Amtrak has been substituting other trains, which are slower and have fewer amenities.
There were no Acela brake disc failures, but railroad officials said a month after trains were halted that a vendor may have found cracks on some discs up to three years ago but Amtrak was never told. An investigation of that potential oversight continues.
Acela was manufactured by a consortium of Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. and Alstom SA of France and 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.
Each of the four axles on Acela passenger cars has three discs and related brake parts.
Crosbie explained that most of the cracks were found on the spokes of the center discs. He said it appeared that some would wobble slightly when brakes were applied, creating vibration that put added stress on the spokes and accelerated fatigue.
Crosbie said there has been no conclusion on the root cause of vibration and noted that some cracks were found on outside discs as well.
A spokesman for Bombardier said it was premature to discuss potential causes since the investigation was not complete. But he did say Bombardier has received the first batch of 50 sturdier discs from Knorr, which are scheduled to be tested next week on Acela trains.
The Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates train operations, must certify the remedy as well as inspection and maintenance procedures.