Only one train now runs north-south between Eugene and Vancouver, B.C.
Amtrak is relocating Amfleet railcars from around the country to help restore service in the Pacific Northwest after the discovery of dangerous corrosion that forced the rail provider to pull dozens of rail cars off the tracks last week.
Five cars arrived in Seattle on Monday, attached to an Empire Builder train from Chicago. Restoration of Cascades route service was to begin Tuesday with trains 516 and 519, KGW reported. More cars are scheduled to arrive later in the week.
The discovery of dangerous corrosion has caused Amtrak to pull dozens of railcars from the tracks, Amtrak announced this month.
The company reported last week it had found rust on a number of Horizon railcars during routine inspection and was removing 70 passenger cars from duty for repairs, reducing round-trip rail service in the Pacific Northwest via Amtrak Cascades to just one train. The Seattle Times reports the move has affected nearly all daily service of Amtrak Downeaster, Hiawatha and Borealis routes, as well as the Cascades line and its 18 stops between Eugene and Vancouver, B.C. Of the 70 railcars, 26 were pulled from the Cascades route.
Amtrak spokesperson Kelly Just could not provide the Times specifics for how long the repairs will last, how much they will cost and what the repairs entail. She said rust is normal on trains in areas exposed to water, ice and deicing treatments. But the trains in question were pulled because secondary inspections revealed corrosive effects of rust were beginning to be experienced on structural steel.
“We apologize,” Just is quoted as saying. “We know this is inconvenient. We never compromise on safety at Amtrak. We know that this is not ideal for our customers, but it’s a move that we feel was necessary.”
Amtrak typically runs 12 trains daily between Portland and Seattle.
The quasi-public corporation has provided bus rides between train stations in the Pacific Northwest while train service is canceled.
The Cascades line is operated by Amtrak using trains owned by the transportation departments of Oregon and Washington. A trainset owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation is still being repaired after its engine incurred significant damaged in a collision with a downed tree following a November windstorm. It’s expected back in service by the middle of the month. Trains with the newer cars will be shorter, with as little as half the amount of coach seating available, Washington State Department of Transportation spokesperson Janet Matkin told KGW.
With service levels in doubt, transportation officials urge passengers to book their trips well in advance.
The Cascades line is scheduled to receive eight new Siemens-build trains next year as part of former president Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill.
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