Amtrak stops service between Eugene and Sacramento after wildfire damages tracks

[TexasTowelie]

The Lava Fire, still burning near Mount Shasta in Northern California, damaged a portion of the Union Pacific Railroad on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The damage has forced freight traffic to reroute, created delays and cancellations for Amtrak passengers, and has left Klamath Falls without passenger rail service.

The Coast Starlight train will not serve stops between Eugene and Sacramento until at least mid-July, according to Amtrak.

South of the fire, the Coast Starlight will operate only between Los Angeles and Sacramento. Customers north of the fire can continue to travel between Seattle and Eugene, but trains from either direction are no longer arriving in Klamath Falls.

“We are certain the outage will extend into some or all of August and are looking at what is the best option for the next several weeks,” said Marc Magliari, public relations manager for Amtrak government affairs and corporate communications on Thursday.

Read more: https://www.salemreporter.com/posts/4570/around-oregon-amtrak-stops-service-between-eugene-and-sacramento-after-wildfire-damages-tracks

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Unfortunately, Sacramento is south of where the lines split, at Weed, California.

Had the only fire been adjacent to Klamath Falls, it might have been possible to reroute the trains through Ashland and Medford. I don't know if the new equipment can clear the tunnels on that line, though.