Safety decision delayed on Vegas Amtrak cars

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2000 | 11:06 a.m.

The Federal Railroad Administration has extended the public comment period on crash-safety standards on railroad cars that ultimately could be used for Amtrak's planned high-speed train service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

A spokesman for the FRA said the agency needed additional time to reach a decision on Amtrak's use of the lightweight train cars manufactured by Talgo America Inc., Seattle.

Warren Flatau of the FRA said the public comment period has been extended to Oct. 31 on Amtrak's use of the trains in the Pacific Northwest. Amtrak can continue to use the train cars, which hold between 17 and 36 passengers and are designed for high-speed travel, during the comment period. Amtrak operates high-speed service between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia.

The company plans to use similar cars on its proposed Los Angeles-Las Vegas service, which has been delayed indefinitely while an environmental assessment is completed on a 26-mile stretch between Cima and Kelso, Calif., where a parallel track is scheduled to be built.

The Talgo trains are certified to handle 441,000 pounds of impact on both ends of the train. A new FRA standard adopted in May 1999 requires trains to withstand 800,000 pounds of impact. The new standard was included in a regulation that allows companies with existing noncompliant equipment to petition for a waiver.

The FRA earlier announced that a decision would be reached by the end of August. Amtrak initially had hoped to inaugurate the LA-Las Vegas service this month, but the track improvement delay, then the safety standard questions, postponed the startup.

Talgo officials say the train cars have an excellent safety record and the matter is being pressed by competitors.

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