Amtrak Plans To Pause Trains on Y2K

Updated 5:41 PM ET December 14, 1999

By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Amtrak will pull its trains into stations briefly on New Year's Eve to ensure that Year 2000 computer problem doesn't affect tracks, railroad crossings or safety equipment.

To compensate for the delays, the national passenger railroad plans to hold onboard celebrations and give riders commemorative train whistles inscribed, "I rode Amtrak into the new millennium."

"We believe we are Y2K compliant. This is just a precaution," Amtrak spokesman John Wolf said Tuesday.

France and Italy have announced similar decisions, and other railroads in Europe and Asia are expected to follow suit. Subway systems in Chicago and Washington also plan the safety pause.

There is uncertainty about how computers and computer-controlled equipment will function as 1999 rolls over to 2000.

Older equipment and software were designed to recognize years in two-digit format, such as "99" for 1999. Computer experts suspect that without alteration, some computers might malfunction at the stroke of midnight after misconstruing the start of 2000 - "00" in the early computer parlance - with the start of 1900.

Amtrak owns the tracks that it uses for its Northeast Corridor service, but in other parts of the country it leases track access from freight railroads.

Those companies and Amtrak have been coordinating plans to ensure smooth handling of all trains, whether they carry passengers or freight.

Amtrak plans to suspend service just before midnight and keep the trains in the stations until an all-clear shortly afterward. During the downtime, the railroad will treat its riders to free food and entertainment.

The suspension is expected to affect about 50 trains. Because some of the trains must alter their schedules significantly to be in stations at midnight, delays of 15 minutes to an hour will occur.

Wolf said that of the trains affected, 10 will have begun their journeys on Dec. 30. The rest will have started on Dec. 31.

It is unclear how many passengers will be affected. Amtrak said year-end reserve bookings are running lighter than at the same time last year.

======================================= End

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), December 14, 1999

Answers

I just saw this on the cBS evening news. Dan Rather said that they were going to compensate for this inconvenience by handing out souveniers...silver AmTrak whistles to each passenger, to "whistle in the new millenium."

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), December 14, 1999.

The trains will stop for 15 miuntes to an hour before the CDC. If the train is in Central time will it stop at local time or eastern time? Are they going to check all of the systems and then send out the ok signal???? That seems like a tall order. I think I'd take the whistle, free food and drink then de-train quickly.

-- gary (a@a.com), December 14, 1999.

Amtrak Plans To Pause Trains on Y2K

Pause the trains --what a soothing phrase. Perhaps they they will Pause the Post Office, the airports, and the power grid as well.

Pause, what a comforting thought. I just know they sent the intern to the thesaurus for that one.

-- semper paratus (dont_pause@your.preps), December 14, 1999.