The P&W jet engine company has just issed a bulletin that for now suggest that the PW1100 series engines are going to require shorter time removals for inspections. This engine series are mainly installed on A-320, A-319, A-321 series aircraft that are widey used in this country. Although only a bulletin now I expect that a FAA mandatory AD is forthcoming.
That AD will mean grounding of those aircraft engines that have exceed the time limits. Have not seen the service bulletin that lists the limits. Different parts may have different limits.
Now if Amtrak had all its rolling stock available a question arises. If one of the limits happens to be number of takeoffs and landings then the affected airlines will want to cut out many short haul flights. A perfect maket that Amtrak could have rolled into.
This engine incident just shows the needfor Amtrak to rehab its otherwise planned retirements of Amfleets to be ready for a surge fleet deployent. This engine pproblem will not be solved anytime soon but may last 2 - 3 years as jet engine facilities are close to planned work not what this bulletine is going to cause.
P&W: ‘significant’ number A320neo engines need inspections - AeroTime
Pratt & Whitney Recalls Engines For Inspection On Several Airbus Aircraft (msn.com)
Note: Septeber 2024 is possible end date. 15 months.
1200 engines impacted.
Old news for those who follow the aviation industry.
Which specific routes could Amtrak use renovated equipment to supplement the airlines? That's what I thought...few or none.
To my mind, the only market where Amtrak can compete with even a 'crippled' airline product is the NEC - DC to New York and/or Boston. Possibly Chicago-St. Louis, maybe Kansas City-St.Louis. Outside of those limited corridors what traffic could Amtrak hope to siphon from.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
blue streak 1 1200 engines impacted.
So 600 aircraft, worldwide?
Yea, Amtrak doesn't figure into that at all.
An "expensive model collector"
The A-320 series are usually flying non stop longer routes/. If they are grounded for lack of engines experience says the airlines will cancel the short hauls and reassign those aircraft to the longer routes. So Amtrak may get a few of the persons who have lost their flights.
blue streak 1 The A-320 series are usually flying non stop longer routes/. If they are grounded for lack of engines experience says the airlines will cancel the short hauls and reassign those aircraft to the longer routes. So Amtrak may get a few of the persons who have lost their flights.
Think of Delta and their hubs vs Amtrak. ATL, DTW, MSP, SLC, SEA and LAX all have limited Amtrak routes. Only NYC might be helped but even then, unless you're going to BOS, PHI or WDC, you're pretty much out of luck.
Amtrak is irrevelant in the transportation system of the US. Get over it. Freight railroads don't want more passenger trains on their tracks.
The A-320NEOs are powered by either the PW1100G family or CFMs/. Here is a list of the A-320NEOs in use in the US. Which jet engine unknown.
Frontier -87
American - 70
spirit - 41
delta - 25
jet Blue - 24
You still haven't stated how you expect Amtrak to take up the slack? What corridors?
BackshopFreight railroads don't want more passenger trains on their tracks.
Not true at all. In fact Wisconsin is doing pretty well getting trains on Canadian Pacific. BNSF bent over backwards to accomodate the Chief when it was in trouble. Now if you said railroads don't want passenger trains on their track without proper compensation I might have agreed with you. This is just too absolute and sweeping a statement though to state all railroads do not want Amtrak on their tracks without qualification.
Also would correct "Amtrak is irrelevant in the transportation system of the US" to Amtrak has not been funded at a level where it could be a true competitor to any other leg of the transportation system.
I don't ride Amtrak all that much long distance but I cannot argue too much with the Chicago to Milwaukee performance other than the slightly skewed approach to measure on-time performance and of course the METRA Express always getting in the way. Amtrak is fairly competitive between Chicago and Milwaukee but it was done with state money primarily.
Expect Amtrak to do anything? No!!! Management's utter lack of any planning in the past has come to haunt it. When FY 2022 (Oct 1,2021) began management had the funds to start hiring and restoring idle cars to passenger worthy status. Hiring did not start slowly until Mar - June 2022. Car work? Not clear. Trains were fairly full summer 2022 rebounding faster than management predicted. Instead it went going for the almighty cost savings for a bonus.
Here it is 2023 with capacity restricted trains not having enough seats. Even the NEC regionals. Is anyone at Amtrak trying to determine if the PW1100G problems can provide more potential passengers. Very unlikely!
An example is that Virginia reports a 30% increase in the number of passengers July 1 - June 30 2023. Believe that comparsion of passenger miles is a better metric. Even if the national demand was only 1/2 of Virginia what a lost opportunity.
blue streak 1Expect Amtrak to do anything? No!!! Management's utter lack of any planning in the past has come to haunt it. When FY 2022 (Oct 1,2021) began management had the funds to start hiring and restoring idle cars to passenger worthy status. Hiring did not start slowly until Mar - June 2022. Car work? Not clear. Trains were fairly full summer 2022 rebounding faster than management predicted. Instead it went going for the almighty cost savings for a bonus.
So if you know they are not going to do anything - why the multitude of posts every week? We get it, you are unhappy with Amtrak.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
zugmann So if you know they are not going to do anything - why the multitude of posts every week? We get it, you are unhappy with Amtrak.
"what could be a death penalty is the possibility of a full long ... train running into an oversize very heavy piece of equipment at track speed"
Now there is another reason that Amtrak may have more demand for more seats in the NEC = BOS - NYP - WASH. There is a growing shortage of traffic controlers in these areas and the FAA requested airlines to cut back number of flights. Airlines agree as long as their slot are not given to other airlines. Gosh how I've hated slots.
U.S. FAA cuts airlines' minimum flight requirements at NY, Washington airports | Reutersa
Not sure if this will increase demand to upper NY state?
Backshop zugmann So if you know they are not going to do anything - why the multitude of posts every week? We get it, you are unhappy with Amtrak. Maybe he's thinking there's a better chance of his dream to happen. The one that he posted in the Amtrak and National Security thread. "what could be a death penalty is the possibility of a full long ... train running into an oversize very heavy piece of equipment at track speed"
Maybe he's thinking there's a better chance of his dream to happen. The one that he posted in the Amtrak and National Security thread.
And that was about Brightline! Pretty disturbed imagination for sure. Perhaps he simply hates rails?
zugmann We get it, you are unhappy with Amtrak.
We get it, you are unhappy with Amtrak.
blue streak 1Expect Amtrak to do anything? No!!! Management's utter lack of any planning in the past has come to haunt it.
Everyone in this forum has a indirect path to complain to Amtrak Management. That is why Amtrak has a passenger advocate. You can reach him/her via Email. You need to specify which service your complaining about, Long Distance or Corridor or if it is a General Item you should state that as well.
The passenger advocate meets with Amtrak Mid to Senior Management regularly. As do Congressional Staffers for Congress folks on the Transportation commitee which is another path.
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