(The Associated Press circulated the following article on April 19.)
WASHINGTON — After running one Acela Express train on Monday, Amtrak decided to once again suspend its high-speed rail service as it works to repair damaged brakes and determine the cause, a spokeswoman said.
Amtrak officials had initially said Monday that it was going to run one Acela train daily between Washington and New York through Friday, spokeswoman Tracy Connell said. But later in the evening, officials decided against that, she added. No Acela trains will run through Friday, possibly longer.
The railroad did run one Acela train between Washington and Boston on Monday, the first time since Amtrak suspended the 20-train fleet last Friday.
Amtrak normally runs 15 Acela weekday roundtrips between New York and Washington and 11 between New York and Boston. Metroliner and regional trains will account for most of the Acela train route between Washington and New York this week, Connell said. Regional trains will run in place of Acela trains from New York to Boston.
Connell said it was still not known how long it would take to repair the brakes.
The high-speed service was suspended after Amtrak discovered millimeter-sized cracks in 300 of the Acela fleet’s 1,440 disc brake rotors.
The Acela trains are built by Montreal-based Bombardier, Inc. The company has brought in extra people in Washington, Boston and New York to replace the faulty brakes.
Bombardier spokesman David Slack said Monday the cause remained under investigation.
Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Steven Kulm said his office is monitoring the Acela situation and will inspect each train before it is put back into service.
The Acela problem comes as President Bush is urging Congress to eliminate Amtrak’s operating subsidy and privatize it. A Senate subcommittee is to debate Bush’s proposal Thursday. The current budget gives Amtrak about $1.2 billion in operating subsidies and capital investment funds.
Acela normally makes up about one-fifth of Amtrak’s service along the Northeast corridor, carrying an average of 9,000 riders on weekdays.