NW Mudslide Season 2014-15

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CHamilton

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I think IIRC they fixed all the known slide locations south of Seattle. And they fixed *some* of the locations north of Seattle (there are a *lot* more north of Seattle).
 
Mudslide stops passenger trains south of Everett

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — A mudslide Monday morning south of Everett has temporarily suspended passenger rail service between Seattle and Everett.

BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas says crews are working to clear mud, trees and debris that came down a 50-foot embankment next to the track's single main line....
Passenger trains including Amtrak and Sound Transit trains, however, will not be allowed on the tracks until Wednesday morning, when a 48-hour moratorium is set to end.
 
This slide appears to be very small. Our helicopter flew the length of the line from Interbay to Everett and couldn't find any dirt or heavy equipment on the tracks.
 
This slide appears to be very small. Our helicopter flew the length of the line from Interbay to Everett and couldn't find any dirt or heavy equipment on the tracks.
Forget a bus bridge, rickycourtney is now offering helicopter shuttles! :)
 
I wish I had a map of which sections have been fixed and which haven't. I remember everything south of Seattle was done, so hopefully no slides south of Seattle this year.

Basically the entire line from Seattle to Everett is slide-prone -- well, more accurately, from where it crosses the ship canal at the north end of Interbay to Everett. They stabilized some bits but didn't have the money to do it all.
 
Main rail line open between Seattle-Everett
The main rail line between Seattle and Everett, Washington, has reopened for passenger traffic after crews cleaned up trees and debris from a weekend mudslide.
BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said a 48-hour passenger rail traffic moratorium on the rail segment ended Monday evening....

Freight traffic has resumed. Melonas said Monday evening that Amtrak and Sounder trains have a green light to resume operations.
 
Mudslide hits Seattle-Everett rail corridor

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - A BNSF Railway spokesman says a Wednesday evening mudslide from a slope adjacent to the main rail line between Seattle and Everett has halted passenger train traffic in the corridor until Friday evening.
Gus Melonas says a Sounder commuter train was in the area when the slide hit and some debris ended up against the train's wheels. He says the train was not damaged, was inspected and has moved through the area....
A 48-hour safety moratorium for passenger trains will last until Friday evening. During such moratoriums, rail passengers are bused between Seattle and Everett.
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/12/mudslide-south-of-everett-blocks-railroad-track/

According to initial reports, slide debris hit a Sounder train around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said. The train has stopped, but will be moving within an hour to offload passengers. The track is expected to reopen at 9:30 p.m.

A 48-hour moratorium is in place for all passenger rail service, which includes both Amtrak and Sounder trains, between the King Street Station in Seattle and Everett, Melonas said. Sound Transit will provide special buses with direct service to and from Northline Sounder stations in addition to local bus service. Service will resume Monday, Sound Transit said.
 
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A later update from that same link clarifies:

A BNSF Railway spokesman says ... a Sounder commuter train was in the area when the slide hit and some debris ended up against the train’s wheels. He says the train was not damaged, was inspected and has moved through the area.
 
Sounder service SEA-EVR that had been scheduled for the Seahawks game has apparently been cancelled. That should not affect Amtrak over the weekend.

Mudslide danger could strand Seahawks fans


A small slide Wednesday night near Everett forced Sound Transit to shutdown northbound operations. Regulations require a 48-hour shutdown, which would mean rail service could resume Friday night.
But Sound Transit managers have decided to extend the suspension of Northbound service at least until Monday because of the game.
The problem would be if a slide were to occur sometime after fans arrived at the game on southbound trains, which are still permitted to operate.
 
Mudslide hits railroad tracks near Edmonds

EDMONDS, Wash. (AP) — A mudslide hit Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks at 12:30 a.m. Friday near Edmonds.
Spokesman Gus Melonas (mel-OWN'-us) says the tracks were cleared and freight trains resumed running at 3 a.m. But, a 48-hour safety moratorium will prevent passenger trains from rolling between Seattle and Everett this weekend. Buses will bridge the service.
Amtrak says passenger service between Seattle and Everett will resume Sunday.
 
The Washington State Department of Transportation's rail division is trying to find funding to sharply reduce the number of landslides that hit the tracks between Edmonds and Everett....

Two of six projects, including one in Everett and another in south Mukilteo, are complete. A third in Everett, near where another slide came down at 12:30 p.m., has been funded but not yet started. Three more in Mukilteo are designed, but not yet funded.

So far $16 million from the Federal Railroad Administration, and administered by WSDOT, is involved.
http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2014/12/12/state-concerned-about-landslide-risks/20332655/
 
Sounder North is low ridership and costs a lot to operate. This will probably actually be good for Sound Transit's finances. :-(
 
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