Patco Still Struggling To Get Refurbished Rail Cars Running Correctly
By David Madden
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- It's the problem that Patco just can't get settled: how to get the first of their refurbished rail cars into service.
It's an issue that has delayed the entire $194-million project to overhaul the 120-car fleet.
By now, some of the refurbished rail cars should have been carrying passengers.
It's not that new problems are coming up. John Hanson, CEO of the Delaware River Port Authority, says the New York State-based firm hired to do the work can't seem to address the old problems that cropped up with the first of the rebuilt cars were tested.
"They're primarily software problems, integrating with the communications systems, with the braking system, with the automatic train control system," Hanson explains.
Two top Patco officials were heading to the Alstom Transport plant in Hornell, NY, to try to get some answers.
The first few refurbished cars are still going through their 500-mile testing but, given the ongoing problems, Hanson can't say just when they'll be put in service.