NEC Service Knocked Out By Downed Power Lines

[AlanB]

Service is delayed this morning on the Northeast Corridor line. A train hit overhead power lines last night, knocking out three of Amtrak's four lines and causing lengthy delays for thousands of commuters. New Jersey Transit also uses the tracks.

The full story can found at 1010 WINS News.

My observations: This occured last night July 29th during rush hour, when an Acela Express pulled down the wires on three of the four tracks approaching the Metro Park station. I know that it was an Acela only because I saw a video shot by a local news helicopter.

It basically destroyed NJT's rush hour service last night on the NEC and it even impacted NJT's North Jersey Coast line. Amtrak service was also brought to a standstill.

As of about 8:00 AM this morning local news in now reporting that three of the four tracks are back in service. However while most trains are now running, delays of 30 minutes are still possible.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

So what Amtrak Train Routes Effect like Regional,Acela Express,Silver Meteor and other Amtrak Routes?

 

[P40Power]

Whats up with the Acela Express trains pulling down catenary? It doesnt seem like that long ago when some one posted about how an Acela pulled down wires near Washington

 

[AlanB]

Whats up with the Acela Express trains pulling down catenary? It doesnt seem like that long ago when some one posted about how an Acela pulled down wires near Washington

I don't think that the Acela's have a real problem with that. In fact some reports are saying that it was a Metroliner that pulled the wires down and that the catenary then crashed into the windshield of the Acela that I saw.

We'll have to wait until more reports surface to see for sure. I don't trust the average reporter to know the difference between an Acela, a Regional, and a Metroliner. Some can't even tell the difference between an electic train and a diesel pulled train, as shown in the stories about the NJT derailment two weeks ago.

Coming back to the wires being pulled down, Metro North has at least two or three incidents of this every year with their MU's. This is however why David Gunn wants to replace the catenary south of NY and why Metro North is currently replacing their cat. When you have positive tension wires, you greatly reduce the risk of a pantograph catching a wire and pulling it down.

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

Does anyone know if there was any damage to the electrical equipment, or if this was strictly just the wire coming down?

 

[AlanB]

Does anyone know if there was any damage to the electrical equipment, or if this was strictly just the wire coming down?

At least based upon what I've heard so far, it's strictly the wires.

 

[P40Power]

Is the positive tension catenary also the only thing holding up 150 MPH running south of New York, or does the whole infrastructure (track, interlockings, signals, etc.) need to be upgraded to 150 MPH status?

 

[AlanB]

Is the positive tension catenary also the only thing holding up 150 MPH running south of New York, or does the whole infrastructure (track, interlockings, signals, etc.) need to be upgraded to 150 MPH status?

Well positive tension isn't the only thing preventing 150 MPH ops, but it is the major problem. There are some areas of track that would still need improvement and there are a few problem bridges that can't handle that speed.

However a fair amount of the corridor could handle 150, if only the catenary could.

 

[Amfleet]

Is the positive tension catenary also the only thing holding up 150 MPH running south of New York, or does the whole infrastructure (track, interlockings, signals, etc.) need to be upgraded to 150 MPH status?

Well positive tension isn't the only thing preventing 150 MPH ops, but it is the major problem. There are some areas of track that would still need improvement and there are a few problem bridges that can't handle that speed.

However a fair amount of the corridor could handle 150, if only the catenary could.

So could we see a 2 hour and 30 minute run between NYC and WAS if Gunn's 5-year plan goes through?

 

[battalion51]

It's possible, but it may be a little closer towards three hours because you have station stops, bridges, a few curves, as well as a couple of interlockings, and allow time to slow for a couple of track changes.

 

[battalion51]

The Trains.com newswire is confirming that the catenary problem was caused by a Regional train, 193 to be exact. The following is the excerpt from the news wire.

Train damages Northeast Corridor catenary
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Amtrak was continuing to work on Wednesday toward full restoration of track capacity on the Northeast Corridor in New Jersey after train 193 damaged the overhead electric catenary in the Metropark area about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The train is the 5:39 p.m. Regional out of New York Penn Station, destined for Washington.

The damage took three tracks out of service, resulting in a single-track operation during the evening and overnight hours. As of Wednesday morning, Amtrak had restored three of four tracks to service at restricted speed, and the fourth track was expected to be restored by Wednesday afternoon.

With the additional track capacity, delays were beginning to ease, but Amtrak had said that passengers on the NEC between New York and Philadelphia should have been figuring on delays of one and two hours.

The service disruption affected not only Amtrak trains, including Acela Express, Metroliner, and Regional services, but some New Jersey Transit trains as well.

 

[Amfleet]

It's possible, but it may be a little closer towards three hours because you have station stops, bridges, a few curves, as well as a couple of interlockings, and allow time to slow for a couple of track changes.

I meant in terms of the Acelas. Regional trains would probably make the distance in about 3 hours.

 

[AlanB]

Is the positive tension catenary also the only thing holding up 150 MPH running south of New York, or does the whole infrastructure (track, interlockings, signals, etc.) need to be upgraded to 150 MPH status?

Well positive tension isn't the only thing preventing 150 MPH ops, but it is the major problem. There are some areas of track that would still need improvement and there are a few problem bridges that can't handle that speed.

However a fair amount of the corridor could handle 150, if only the catenary could.

So could we see a 2 hour and 30 minute run between NYC and WAS if Gunn's 5-year plan goes through?

Yes, if David actually got what he's asking for over the next five years. However any surprises or shortfalls would probably kill the reality of a two thirty minute trip.

Two hours thirty minutes was always the target for Acela's running from DC to NYP. Even now there are several Acela's that makes fewer stops and break the three hour mark. Some actually do it in two hours 45 minutes. So running at 150 for more than half of the distance would indeed drop run times into the 2:30 area.

 

[AlanB]

The Trains.com newswire is confirming that the catenary problem was caused by a Regional train, 193 to be exact. The following is the excerpt from the news wire.

All news reports up north here are now confirming that Metroliner #125 was the culprit that pulled down the catenary. Somehow, and at present no one is quite sure what happened, northbound Acela Express #2172's windshield was shattered when the wires came down.

The most recent trouble started at 6:25 p.m. Tuesday when an Amtrak Metroliner traveling from New York to Washington, D.C., pulled down overhead power lines, stranding passengers for up to two hours.
A passing Acela train's windshield was shattered, and authorities were investigating how that happened, Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Van Veen said.

The above quote comes from the updated 1010 WINS News story that I first linked to above. You can read the new story by clicking here.

 

[battalion51]

Anyone know what trainset was affected?