Northeast Corridor Safety and Security can be Improved with a “Doctor” Train and Trackside Security Fences.
June 20, 2023
In a Statement submitted for the record of a House Subcommittee on Railroads’ Amtrak hearing (see attachment), AmeriStarRail proposed a privately financed high-speed track inspection trainset to provide daily evaluation and monitoring of Amtrak’s high-speed tracks and overhead catenary wires between Boston and Washington at speeds up to 160 mph. Known as “doctor” trains in Europe and Asia, these world-class inspection trains conduct measurements, at full speed, of track conditions and defects to help maintain the precise track and catenary specifications required for safe and smooth train operations at high speeds.
AmeriStarRail also proposed an innovative solution to eliminate the reason for major train delays on the Northeast Corridor: service disruptions caused by trespasser deaths and collisions with water heaters, tires, shopping carts and other debris along the corridor. Just as airport perimeters are fenced in and interstate highways have fencing to deter trespassing, AmeriStarRail is proposing that Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor infrastructure projects include a project to seal the corridor with trackside security fences and walls to prevent trespassers and illegal dumping of debris from disrupting train operations.
Amtrak’s NEC High-Speed Track Standards are not Maintained as Rigorously as Those in Europe and Asia
The tracks on the Northeast Corridor are not maintained to the more rigorous and precise standards of high-speed tracks in Europe and Asia. This is a key reason for the delay in completing the testing and certification of the new Alstom Acela trainsets which are not expected to enter service until sometime in 2024. Although Amtrak conducts regular track inspections, at frequent intervals throughout the year, the world class standard of daily track inspections requires a special inspection train that conducts measurements of track defects and variations in the precise track geometry required to maintain safe and smooth train operations at high speeds. Around the world these dedicated inspection trains are known as “doctor trains” and conduct inspections of both the track and catenary at top speeds up to 220 mph. Amtrak, to date, has not utilized this readily-available technology to maintain the Northeast Corridor.
With the use of private financing, AmeriStarRail will provide Amtrak with access, for the first time, to a dedicated “doctor train” that will be a critical tool for improving and maintaining the highest track standards on the Northeast Corridor to improve safety, ride quality and service reliability. This high-speed inspection train will be a new Alstom Avelia Liberty trainset, built without passenger seating, equipped with track and catenary inspection systems designed to perform daily inspections at speeds up to 160 mph. Deconflicting and reducing the operation of freight trains on tracks dedicated for high-speed operations will also be essential to maintaining precise track standards for high-speed trains.