Freight Derailment Shuts Down Metrolink

At least 18 rail cars broke free from a freight train Friday and raced nearly 30 miles before derailing in the Los Angeles suburb of Commerce, damaging at least five homes and injuring at least 12 people, none of them seriously.

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The full story can be found here on MSNBC. An additional story can be found here.

Reports also indicate that the derailment has shut down Metrolink's Riverside Line.

What's the chance that this is going to delay the Sunset Limited out of LA tonight? We're scheduled to be on it tomorrow morning out of Tucson.

snake said:

What's the chance that this is going to delay the Sunset Limited out of LA tonight? We're scheduled to be on it tomorrow morning out of Tucson.

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Snake,

I'm not that knowledgable about that area, however based upon a posting on On Track On Line from RailHaRRy a very reliable source, it would appear that the Sunset Limited will not be affected by this derailment.

There is an alternative UP route that runs a couple of miles north, the Alhambra Subdivision which is used by the SUNSET LIMITED but not by Metrolink.

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You can view HaRRy's entire post by clicking here. It's the second post down, under my original post.

Thanks, Alan, I just read that commuter trains were being rerouted and that riders could expect 1-1/2 hour delays.

snake said:

What's the chance that this is going to delay the Sunset Limited out of LA tonight? We're scheduled to be on it tomorrow morning out of Tucson.

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By the way, I hope you have a great trip.

Thanks again Alan, looks like the Sunset Limited made it out of LA OK, it's only about an hour late this morning in Arizona now.

snake said:

What's the chance that this is going to delay the Sunset Limited out of LA tonight? We're scheduled to be on it tomorrow morning out of Tucson.

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The line in question hosts commuter trains on Metrolink's Riverside-L.A. line (via Pomona). There is an alternate route used by some commuter trains known as the "91 Line" that runs Riverside-Fullerton-L.A. The SUNSET could most likely detour via Fullerton, or on another line that runs in the median of I-10.

Superliner Diner said:

The SUNSET could most likely detour via Fullerton, or on another line that runs in the median of I-10.

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The Sunset's regular route is the one that runs in the median of I-10.