High-Speed Trains Halted

WASHINGTON — The Acela Express, Amtrak’s high-speed train, was shut down indefinitely Friday because of brake problems, leaving thousands of travelers scrambling for other transportation.

Amtrak pressed slower trains into use in the Northeast corridor between Washington, New York and Boston.

Acela service will be suspended at least through Wednesday because of cracks in disc brakes, said Amtrak’s chief operating officer, Bill Crosbie. When the problem is resolved, he said, service will probably be restored in phases, which could take months.

Amtrak normally runs 15 Acela weekday round trips between New York and Washington and 11 between New York and Boston. Acela accounts for about 20% of Amtrak’s Boston-New York-Washington weekday service.

A Senate committee will debate next week whether to end the rail service’s federal subsidy, as the Bush administration has recommended, and radically reshape train travel in the United States.

Acela trains can reach 150 mph and feature amenities such as conference tables in passenger cars, pub-style cafe cars and headphone outlets at each seat.