David Gunn, the man credited with turning around the New York City subway system in the 1980’s, has found an equally daunting challenge, reports an editorial in the New York Times. Amtrak, which he has led since May, seems to have cornered the market on self-inflicted debacles this year. Just as passenger rail traffic was soaring in the wake of the Sept. 11 airliner hijackings, Amtrak suffered two nasty derailments and the sidelining of its brand-new fleet of high-speed trains. The setbacks, coming at a time when the railroad’s future hinges on an upcoming budget showdown in Congress, are serious, and sorely test the patience of even the most fervent supporters of rail travel. But it would be a mistake for the country to give up on the development of a smoothly running passenger rail system to relieve transportation congestion on the East and West Coasts.
Cracks that were discovered this week in the suspension systems of high-speed Acela Express locomotives forced Amtrak to suspend use of its newest trains in the Northeast Corridor. The popularity of the Acela, which debuted in late 2000, has shown that there is a strong demand for competitive passenger rail. Even though antiquated tracks along the Washington-Boston run rarely allow the Acela to reach its optimal speed of 150 m.p.h., the sleek trains, for which passengers pay a hefty premium, helped Amtrak gain market share from airline shuttles while earning an operating profit in the Northeast Corridor.
Unhappily, the Acela, developed for Amtrak by Bombardier Transportation of Canada, has been plagued by production delays and design flaws. The first of 20 sets of trains ordered by Amtrak in 1996 for $700 million was delivered more than a year behind schedule. Since then, recurring mechanical problems have afflicted everything from electrical systems to bathroom doors.
It is not yet clear whether temporary repairs to the cracks on the Acela locomotives’ wheel sets being proposed by Bombardier will allow the trains to resume service in a matter of days, or weeks. What is clear is that Amtrak and Bombardier should work together to address all design flaws, and do so quickly.
As the Acela’s problems rekindle questions about the competence of Amtrak, they also underscore important truths for Congress to consider as it grapples with the future of passenger rail operations in America. The first is that we are seeing the consequences of inadequate investment in rail infrastructure. Congress and Amtrak’s previous management subscribed to the fiction that unlike any other railroad in the world, or any other form of transportation in this country, passenger train service in the United States could become self-sufficient.
Congress withheld needed capital investment as Amtrak hustled to meet its 2003 operating deadline to attain self-sufficiency. The Acela project was Amtrak’s great last hope in this illusory quest. Although consumers viewed it as an improvement over existing trains, there was always a make-believe quality to the notion that high-speed train service could be delivered on a sustained basis with an aging track bed and other outdated equipment.
Mr. Gunn is making necessary changes at Amtrak, and he should be given a chance to make the railroad more efficient. He will be unable to do so if he has to beg Congress for money every few months. An organization whose near-term future is constantly in doubt, and is held hostage to the political tides, cannot possibly flourish. Congress and the White House need to provide Amtrak with an adequate operating budget.
They must also establish a permanent, dedicated source of funding for rail infrastructure — principally to build designated high-speed corridors across the country — akin to the trust funds that pay for highways and aviation projects. Once that is accomplished, passenger rail need not be synonymous with Amtrak. Private train operators may eventually be allowed to compete on certain routes, a scenario that will become increasingly attractive if Amtrak cannot improve its record.