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Rail Travel News is a twice-monthly print publication, published since Dec 10, 1970.
Publisher: Message Media Company,
PO Box 9007,
Berkeley CA 94709.
Website copyright © 1997-2005 by Message Media Co.

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Dear Amtrak Co-workers:

Let me say thank you to everyone
who's been hard at work in the wake of the
suspension of Acela Express service Friday,
especially those in the Mechanical
department, Transportation department and
on the front lines of service delivery:  res
agents, ticket agents, gate agents and OBS.

Delivering to our passengers the best
service possible is of paramount importance
right now. Safety, however, is our top
priority, and no Acela Express train will be
returned to service unless it is inspected and
found to be safe.

We are just at the beginning of this
situation, and there's not going to be any
significant return of Acela service any time
soon. However, we are taking a number of
steps to deal with this situation, and I want
to tell you about them.

First, we are re-working the NEC
schedule to slot in as many Metroliner
trainsets as we can press into service. Some
of this Metroliner Amfleet equipment is on
the Adirondack, some of it is on the
Downeaster service. These cars will be
returned to the corridor. The Metroliner sets
will be deployed in a manner that services
the maximum number of our passengers.

We're also moving as much Regional
Amfleet equipment into the corridor as
possible. New Jersey Transit is helping us
by running a Clocker roundtrip with their
equipment, freeing up our trainset. The West
Coast Horizon charter equipment is coming
east to free-up Amfleet equipment on the
Empire Service. We are also suspending
charter moves.

The Mechanical department is doing an
excellent job keeping the conventional
equipment shop counts low. For the
foreseeable future, Amfleets are all we will
have in any quantity for service on the
Northeast Corridor, although a few Acela
sets may be available from time to time.

Finally, let me acknowledge that this
sudden and disappointing development
comes as Amtrak's board of directors and
legislative policymakers consider our federal
support in FY '06 and the long-term future
of the railroad. If anything is certain,
however, the suspension of Acela service
and the subsequent public reaction has
pointed out just how important a reliable
passenger rail system really is to the
traveling public.

At this point, the board still has not yet
settled on a request for FY '06.

In the coming weeks, Congressional
hearings on our future and other news about
Acela can be expected to make headlines. As
part of my job, I will continue to provide
updates as more is known.

Please continue to focus 100 percent of
your energy and attention to the safety and
security of passengers while on the job 
and good customer service. Our passengers
expect nothing less from all of us.

Sincerely,

/s/ David L. Gunn
 Source: Amtrak, Gene Poon.

(Amtrak ran one Acela Express on Monday, April 18 and then once more decided not to run the high-speed trains at all until the repairs were completed. Repairs could take several months.)

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