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Nine of Amtrak’s 18 Acela Express trains returned to service Aug. 19, restoring 17 departures between Washington and New York out of a standard 32, and 13 New York-to-Boston departures out of 18. Combined, they represent about 60 percent of the express service’s departures.



Amtrak and federal rail safety officials accepted from Bombardier Transportation and ALSTOM Transport (the trainsets’ manufacturers) a temporary remedy for Acela’s yaw damper bracket problem. In many cases, a thicker version of the bracket is being installed; in less serious cases, workers are grinding out superficial cracks. Repair work began Aug. 16 at Amtrak maintenance facilities in Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston.



The national passenger railroad ran repaired Acela Express equipment Aug. 17 and 18 on 11 scheduled regional trains. Despite the premium service, passengers paid only standard regional fares.



The restored departures are those primarily in peak periods to accommodate the greatest number of passengers.