Posted on 04/20/2005 4:10:44 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Amtrak's High-Speed Acela Trains Sidelined Until Summer By Donna De La Cruz Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Amtrak will not be able to run any of its high-speed trains until the summer because of delays in getting replacement parts to correct brake problems on Acela Express cars, railroad officials said Wednesday.
"The earliest you'll see trains back in service will be sometime in the summer and then you'll see a gradual return," said Amtrak's chief executive officer, David Gunn. "What will control that is the availability of parts and the speed in which they come, and the time it takes to put them on."
Before Amtrak's showcase service resumes, Amtrak's chief operating officer, Bill Crosbie, said there must be agreement on how long the new brakes will last.
The brakes were to last 1 million miles; the current Acela fleet had about half of that mileage.
Amtrak pulled all of its 20 Acela trains out of service on Friday after finding millimeter-size cracks in 300 of the fleet's 1,440 disc brake rotors. Each Acela train has 72 brakes.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.tbo.com ...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
FYI.
Those are big honking cracks. Yeah. There will be a big lawsuit. Breach of contract. I doubt there will be any consequential damages though.
All the broken rotors must be replaced, but it is not clear how quickly Amtrak can get replacements. Two companies, Knorr Brake Corp., based in Westminster, Md., and Webtec Corp., made the rotors and will have to provide the replacements.Amtrak doesn't know how much it will cost to replace them, or whether the two companies will pay for the replacements. Amtrak also could seek money to pay for the new rotors from the primary contractor that made the trains, Bombardier Inc.
Do you think they should know WHY the rotors cracked before they put the trains back into service?
300 out of 1100 is an unacceptable failure rate. Running in this configuration without knowing the root cause is potentially dangerous.
Probably have to try the case in Canada....tough luck.
Lawsuit against who?
Chretien and Bombardier bought that train bid through illegal means, and it has been nothing but problems. I heard Bombardier is blaming the subcontractor.
Brake or car manufacturer, for failure to meet specified or implied limits of performance, replacement interval. Warranty, mor or less.
That whole deal was bordering on illegal...Canada giving Amtrak the money to buy the trainsets....
ridiculous.
Brake or car manufacturer, for failure to meet specified or implied limits of performance, replacement interval. Warranty, mor or less.
The Acela trains are built by Bombardier, Inc., based in Montreal, and the brakes are under warranty.Bombardier spokesman David Slack said Friday that the company had no immediate explanation for what caused the cracks found on the steel spokes of disc brakes on most coaches. Slack also said it was unclear who would pay for the repairs and how long it would take. The brake parts are made specifically for Acela trains.
Perhaps not obviously, but if Bombardier, Alstom (French partner on this project) and the brake manufacturers make good on the warranty, then the buyer, Amtrack, won't sue for warranty performance.
But you're probably right. They would fix it with JB weld if they could get away with it.
I shall sue Amtrak. I took the Acela train once, and now I find out I could have been in danger. This has caused mental anguish.
Evening Howlin,
Just glad tonight's a lot calmer than last night!!
Isn't that the truth, but don't get me started again! I finally stopped spitting about noon today!
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