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#81 KevinKorell

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Posted 04 October 2023 - 12:30 AM

USA Today,  10/3/23:

 


 

     Delays expected: OIG report warns Amtrak's new Acela trainsets still face issues  

 

Things aren’t looking great for Amtrak’s new Acela trainsets, which are already behind schedule to serve the Northeast Corridor. 

 

report released Tuesday from Amtrak’s Office of the Inspector General is raising new concerns about the trainsets’ delivery. 

 

More



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#82 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 October 2023 - 10:11 AM

Travel Awaites, 10/6/23

 
Amtrak’s Acela Trains Fail to Meet Fed Standards, Report Says

 

Amtrak’s $2.3 billion high-speed train program is “more than three years behind schedule and additional delays are likely,” according to an inspector general report published last week. 

 

Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General said the delay is due to Acela trains, which are meant to replace aging models, failing to meet federal regulations. 

 

The OIG report listed two reasons for the failure. 

 

The first is that trainset designs have not yet met Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards. According to the report, trainsets must show valid performance results from a computer model, but officials are still waiting for the vendor to complete the model.

 

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The second issue is that trainsets have defects, and the schedule for addressing them is incomplete. According to the report, 12 of 28 trainsets and 22 of 28 cafe cars are defective. 

 

 

 

More here.  



#83 CNJRoss

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Posted 13 October 2023 - 03:08 PM

Railway Age, 10/13/23

 

Amtrak OIG: New Acela Program Facing Additional Delays, Increased Costs (Updated with Alstom and OIG Responses)

 

More delays are anticipated for Amtrak’s new Acela trainsets, already three years behind schedule, due in part to defects and designs not yet meeting Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requirements, the latest Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has found. Alstom has taken exception to certain elements of the report. OIG stands by it.

 

Current delays “have already resulted in significant cost increases, operational impacts and delayed revenue,” OIG said.

 

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ALSTOM RESPONSE

 

“Alstom is the world leader in high-speed trains, with more than 40 years of experience designing and manufacturing this technology and nearly 2,300 high-speed trains in service built by Alstom, or built with Alstom parts and technology,” the company said in a statement to International Railway Journal Editor-in-Chief Kevin Smith. “We share Amtrak’s excitement in bringing this technology to America.” 

 

“Alstom is working closely with the Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak as we work through their first-ever safety certification for high-speed trains to ensure that these new trains meet all FRA requirements for entry into service. As part of the validation, in addition to ongoing modeling activities, we have already successfully run these trains on the FRA’s Pueblo, Colo. test track at high speed and on the Northeast Corridor for a total of nearly 70,000 miles. 

 

“Alstom continues to produce these, the first American, union-made, high-speed Avelia Liberty trains in Hornell, N.Y. It is industry standard to begin production simultaneously with validation. As we proceed through the process to have these trains validated by the FRA, Alstom has shipped 9 out of 28 trains and are storing a number of them offsite to ensure a continuity of production.  

 

“We are surprised with so-called ‘defects’ that the OIG report identifies. Every train that has been released from the manufacturing site were authorized for shipping by Amtrak after thorough inspections, with identified modifications to be completed prior to acceptance. These modifications will be completed before final acceptance of the trainsets, as it is foreseen in the contract and customary in our industry. These modifications, along with additional changes that has Amtrak requested are in no way in the critical path of completion of this project.”

 

Said one industry observer, “The word ‘defect’ is not accurate, as there are issues on both sides. The OIG report is politically driven. It’s easier to kick the supplier rather than properly take responsibility.”

 

  OIG RESPONSE

 

Amtrak OIG Congressional & Public Affairs officer Clark Carpenter responded to Railway Age: “Amtrak OIG, both by federal law, and through policy and agreements with Amtrak, operates independently of the company to provide oversight on Amtrak’s programs and operations. Amtrak OIG conducts audits and investigations and issues reports relating to Amtrak programs, personnel, and operations that, in the Inspector General’s judgment, are necessary or desirable, and Amtrak cannot prevent or prohibit the Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation, or from issuing any subpoena during an audit or investigation. We are funded annually by a federal appropriation that is separate from the funding Amtrak receives via the Federal Railroad Administration. In addition, Amtrak management cannot interfere with our operations, and, conversely, members of our staff do not engage in any programmatic functions that support Amtrak’s management or operations. We stand by the observations we have made in this report.”

 

 

More here.  



#84 KevinKorell

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Posted 10 November 2023 - 11:23 AM

Trains magazine, 11/9/23:

 


 

   News report says new Acela delays have cost Amtrak $140 million    

 

 

Delays in launching Amtrak’s next-generation Acela fleet have cost the passenger company $140 million so far, and the figure continues to grow, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday in a paywalled article.

 

 

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#85 CNJRoss

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Posted 15 January 2024 - 12:29 PM

Progressive Railroading, 1/15/24

 
Report: Amtrak to begin on-track testing of new high-speed trains

 

The Federal Railroad Administration has cleared Amtrak's new high-speed trains to begin testing on tracks that run from Washington, D.C., to Boston, the New York Times reported late last week.

 

The faster Avelia Liberty trains, which eventually will replace the Acela trains operating on the Northeast Corridor, had failed a series of computer modeling tests and finally passed the FRA's approval to begin testing on the tracks, the newspaper reported.

 

 

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#86 CNJRoss

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Posted 15 January 2024 - 12:32 PM

Breaking News Network, 1/13/24

 
Avelia Liberty Trains by Amtrak Begin Field Testing Phase

 

After years of anticipation and challenges, Amtrak’s innovative high-speed Avelia Liberty trains are poised to revolutionize the Northeast Corridor’s rail service. The Federal Railroad Administration’s recent approval marks a significant milestone, granting permission for testing on the Northeast Corridor tracks. The move signifies progression after repeated setbacks due to safety and design worries.

 

 

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#87 CNJRoss

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Posted 19 January 2024 - 10:15 PM

Axios, 1/18/24

 
Amtrak to begin testing high-speed trains on the Northeast Corridor

 

The Federal Railroad Administration last week cleared testing of high-speed trains on the Northeast Corridor, a crucial step for Amtrak in advancing the long-delayed project.

 

Why it matters: The trains are faster and can carry more passengers than the current aging Acela fleet, which was supposed to be decommissioned in 2016, per the New York Times.

 

Driving the news: Amtrak announced testing will commence on tracks running from Washington to Boston after the new trains were approved by the FRA on the 14th attempt following repeated failed computer modeling tests, per the Times.

 

 

Continue here.  



#88 KevinKorell

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Posted 20 January 2024 - 11:45 AM

The Points Guy, 1/19/24:

 


 

   New Acela trains approved for high-speed testing along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor  

 

 

Amtrak has reached a milestone in the long path to get its new Acela trains onto the tracks of the Northeast Corridor.

 

Full story



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#89 KevinKorell

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Posted 06 February 2024 - 01:29 AM

 

New Acela equipment testing on Keystone Line, passing Overbrook SEPTA station, plus a bonus of a passing ACS-64 engine running light.



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#90 KevinKorell

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Posted 06 February 2024 - 01:35 AM

New Acela equipment testing on NEC, filmed at Princeton Junction station.



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