Will This UP Accident Again Affect Amtrak?

[MrFSS]

MECCA, Calif. — A freight train derailed in the Southern California desert and two tanker cars full of chemicals caught fire, sending up a cloud of fumes and forcing home evacuations, authorities said.

FULL STORY

 

[Rafi]

MECCA, Calif. — A freight train derailed in the Southern California desert and two tanker cars full of chemicals caught fire, sending up a cloud of fumes and forcing home evacuations, authorities said.
FULL STORY

Well, it appears that it's on the Sunset Limited's line just east of Palm Springs, CA and west of Yuma, CA. The next scheduled Sunset through the area is #1 westbound tomorrow morning (Wednesday) arriving Palm Springs at 6:37 AM, and the eastbound later that day at 5:06 PM. Guess it depends on whether they can clean everything up by tonight. Otherwise, I'm guessing they'll either busstitute or possibly run a detour via Phoenix (GASP!) over to Barstow and then down to LA. I'm far from an expert on the detouring options in that part of the country, however, and last I heard the Phoenix track east of the city (I think?) wasn't in service. Corrections?

-Rafi

 

[the_traveler]

I'm guessing they'll either busstitute or possibly run a detour via Phoenix (GASP!) over to Barstow and then down to LA. I'm far from an expert on the detouring options in that part of the country, however, and last I heard the Phoenix track east of the city (I think?) wasn't in service. Corrections?

I believe the tracks near Phoenix out of service are west of the city - I think that's why they discontinued service, since the SL and 1 freight were the only users of the line to the west.

I don't think they would detour via Barstow - it is out of the way, and the line up to BNSF is only a short line connector. I think they would bus-titute.

 

[GG-1]

I'm guessing they'll either busstitute or possibly run a detour via Phoenix (GASP!) over to Barstow and then down to LA. I'm far from an expert on the detouring options in that part of the country, however, and last I heard the Phoenix track east of the city (I think?) wasn't in service. Corrections?

I believe the tracks near Phoenix out of service are west of the city - I think that's why they discontinued service, since the SL and 1 freight were the only users of the line to the west.

I don't think they would detour via Barstow - it is out of the way, and the line up to BNSF is only a short line connector. I think they would bus-titute.

Aloha

Given what you have both said my sad thought the next SSL would be annulled :angry: .

 

[Rafi]

I'm guessing they'll either busstitute or possibly run a detour via Phoenix (GASP!) over to Barstow and then down to LA. I'm far from an expert on the detouring options in that part of the country, however, and last I heard the Phoenix track east of the city (I think?) wasn't in service. Corrections?

I believe the tracks near Phoenix out of service are west of the city - I think that's why they discontinued service, since the SL and 1 freight were the only users of the line to the west.

I don't think they would detour via Barstow - it is out of the way, and the line up to BNSF is only a short line connector. I think they would bus-titute.

I knew someone would be able to elaborate.

Looking at the map again, it seems to me that they could also detour from Niland, CA (about 65 miles west of Yuma), down to El Centro, CA, then over to Tijuana and then up the Pacific Surfliner corridor to LAX, but I'm not familiar with protocols for running passengers via Mexico even if no one is detraining along the way. Seems to me that it'd be possible, though, given that the Cascades run to Vancouver doesn't have to make a border stop since no one gets on or off in Canada before Vancouver. Regardless, that detour looks like a fun ride with a number of passes as it descends into Tijuana.

-Rafi

 

[George Harris]

Looking at the map again, it seems to me that they could also detour from Niland, CA (about 65 miles west of Yuma), down to El Centro, CA, then over to Tijuana and then up the Pacific Surfliner corridor to LAX, but I'm not familiar with protocols for running passengers via Mexico even if no one is detraining along the way. Seems to me that it'd be possible, though, given that the Cascades run to Vancouver doesn't have to make a border stop since no one gets on or off in Canada before Vancouver. Regardless, that detour looks like a fun ride with a number of passes as it descends into Tijuana.
-Rafi

Extremely slow. Mountainous, lots of curves, wood trestles, tunnels. Not even sure the tunnels will clear the Superliners. Loops into Mexico would give the entire hierarchy in homeland Security heart attacks. most unlikely to happen. Bus from Tucson would be my guess. Either that or sit for hours and wait for it to be cleared, and then sit for a few more hours until all the backed up eastbound freights get by.

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

Train #1 will terminate in TUS, bus to LA. Train #2(5) will bus to TUS.

 

[Steve4031]

Train #1 will terminate in TUS, bus to LA. Train #2(5) will bus to TUS.

Ouch. That is a long bus ride.

 

[Rafi]

Train #1 will terminate in TUS, bus to LA. Train #2(5) will bus to TUS.

Ouch. That is a long bus ride.

And those westbound passengers are on that bus as we speak. <moment of silence>