Saturday, May 27, 2006
East Coast: Rail Officials Promise a Faster Response to Future Problems
Rail Officials Promise a Faster Response to Future Problems
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
Published: May 27, 2006
The widespread power failure that disrupted train service in five states on Thursday morning exposed shortcomings in Amtrak's system for evacuating riders from stalled trains, rail officials said yesterday, and they pledged to undertake steps to react faster if the problem should recur.
The electrical failure, which stranded tens of thousands of commuters in tunnels and between stations for hours, was the first of its kind in Amtrak's history, said Clifford Black, a spokesman for the railroad. Yesterday, Amtrak began stationing employees at three substations that previously had been monitored electronically, he said.
Mr. Black said Amtrak had not identified the cause of the electrical problem, which tripped circuit breakers from Maryland to Queens, shutting down power along more than 200 miles of track used by Amtrak and three commuter lines.
"They are going to stay there until we determine the cause," Mr. Black said. "Until we determine the cause, we can't be certain that it won't happen again."
See also:
Thousands Are Stuck as Trains in the Northeast Go Dark
The Passengers:
Reading. Cursing the Heat. Hiking to a Parking Lot.
What Went Wrong:
The Breakers Kept Tripping and the Substations Went Dark
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
Published: May 27, 2006
The widespread power failure that disrupted train service in five states on Thursday morning exposed shortcomings in Amtrak's system for evacuating riders from stalled trains, rail officials said yesterday, and they pledged to undertake steps to react faster if the problem should recur.
The electrical failure, which stranded tens of thousands of commuters in tunnels and between stations for hours, was the first of its kind in Amtrak's history, said Clifford Black, a spokesman for the railroad. Yesterday, Amtrak began stationing employees at three substations that previously had been monitored electronically, he said.
Mr. Black said Amtrak had not identified the cause of the electrical problem, which tripped circuit breakers from Maryland to Queens, shutting down power along more than 200 miles of track used by Amtrak and three commuter lines.
"They are going to stay there until we determine the cause," Mr. Black said. "Until we determine the cause, we can't be certain that it won't happen again."
See also:
Thousands Are Stuck as Trains in the Northeast Go Dark
The Passengers:
Reading. Cursing the Heat. Hiking to a Parking Lot.
What Went Wrong:
The Breakers Kept Tripping and the Substations Went Dark
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