(The following report appeared on The Oregonian website on December 3.)
PORTLAND, Ore. — Barring new mudslides, Amtrak could resume rail service between Eugene and Vancouver, B.C., sometime Tuesday, an Amtrak spokeswoman said.
Two mudslides forced Amtrak to close three Northwest passenger lines. The agency is moving roughly 1,000 passengers by bus instead, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said.
The Cascades service from Eugene to Portland is canceled. The Coast Starlight, which runs from Seattle to Los Angeles, is terminating in Eugene. And the Empire Builder, which runs through Portland, Seattle and Chicago, is terminating in Everett, Wash. There is no service between Eugene and Portland.
Graham said Amtrak closures due to mudslides are fairly common in the Northwest. The last one occurred this summer, but the agency typically has closures during Northwest winters, most often in January and February.