WASHINGTON --
Amtrak Monday put one sidelined Acela Express train back in service
after it passed a safety inspection.
The Acela Express
train went into service at 8:00 a.m. departing New York en route to
Washington. The train also was slated to travel from Washington to
Boston at 2:00 p.m.
It was unclear when
the other 19 trains that make up the Acela Express fleet would
return to service.
Trains will only
return to service if absolutely safe to operate, said Bill Crosbie,
Amtraks Operations Vice President in a statement.
In the meantime,
Amtrak said it is re-accommodating passengers on other Northeast
Corridor trains and adding trains as equipment is available. Amtrak
is adjusting service schedules to increase train capacity such as
on its Regionals, Clockers, Keystone Service and Metroliners
trains.
Amtrak said
passengers with tickets and reservations on Acela Express should
rebook on these services. Any refund fees are being waived for
those who choose to cancel their reservation.
Amtrak suspended
operation of all 20 Acela Express trains, which operate between
Washington and Boston, on April 15 after cracks in the spokes of
300 of 1,440 brake discs or rotors were discovered on a train
during a routine inspection.
The last time
Amtrak suspended Acela Express service was in August 2002, when
routine inspections uncovered hairline cracks on the yaw damper
brackets, used to secure shock absorber-like devices, on several
Acela Express locomotives. Service was suspended for three
months.
To contact the
reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Michael Milligan at
[email protected].