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When signals failed, Virginia Railway Express, Amtrak passengers were stuck Date published: 8/21/2003 By EDIE GROSS Passengers on Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak trains were stranded yesterday morning when part of CSX Railroad's signal and communications system failed. VRE had to cancel four of its six Fredericksburg line trains and two of its six Manassas line trains during the early morning rush hour. The 1:05 p.m. train from Washington to Fredericksburg was also canceled, said spokesman Mark Roeber, who said 6,500 commuters were affected. Ten Amtrak passenger trains were stalled by the system failure, said Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel. Delays ranged from 40 minutes for a northbound train leaving Richmond to six hours for a train on its way from Miami to New York, he said. Amtrak service north of Washington was not affected, Stessel said. CSX blamed the "significant slowdowns" on a computer virus that infected its network. The company said it suspected the same worm responsible for disabling computer systems worldwide--including plenty here in Virginia--was behind CSX's troubles. The worm disrupted the network that controls CSX's signals and its communication between dispatchers and trains. The problem apparently began about 1 a.m. VRE officials said they weren't notified until nearly 5 a.m., only 15 minutes before the first Fredericksburg train was to leave. Roeber said VRE has asked CSX for earlier notice in the future so it can make arrangements for passengers.
To reach EDIE GROSS: 540/374-5428 egross@freelancestar.com
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