RailNews

California Storms Disrupt Rail Service

On January 12, WTHOD-10 heads south on the Coast Line with 42 cars to aid bridge repairs in Santa Barbara County south of San Luis Obispo and Guadalupe. In this scene from Metz Road, the train is passing the old SP siding of Harlem near Soledad, Cal. For the first time in decades, the Salinas River has flooded its banks and created a lake beside the railroad. Photo by Elrond Lawrence. 

California Storms Disrupt Rail Service

By Railfan & Railroad Staff

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Union Pacific’s Coast Line will be closed for at least another week after the storms that have ravaged California in recent days damaged a bridge on the line. 

According to a Union Pacific service advisory on January 10, the foundation of a bridge between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo washed away and it’ll take upwards of two weeks to repair. UP has been running ballast trains to fix that and other issues on the route this week. 

The washout has impacted Amtrak service in the area, including the Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight. Presently, the Coast Starlight is turning at Emeryville. 

The storms that brought a record amount of rain to the state are also impacting Altamont Corridor Express, which suspended all service on Wednesday after a train hit a mudslide. According to KRON 4, passengers aboard the impacted train said they felt a “jolt” before the train stopped. A few people were treated for minor injuries. The previous day, another ACE train had to be evacuated and the passengers put on a different train because a 100-foot slide blocked it. Service is expected to resume on January 23.

This article was posted on: January 19, 2023