(The following story by Mark Bowder appeared on The Columbian website on January 9.)
COLUMBIA, Wash. — The primary north-south rail route from Vancouver to Seattle has been cleared of floodwaters and will reopen to freight traffic at 6 tonight.
Amtrak passenger traffic will resume on a limited basis Saturday, said Gus Melonas, spokesman for BNSF Railway. Passengers should call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL for more details.
BNSF shut down the Vancouver to Seattle connection Thursday morning after flooding left 3 inches of water over a quarter mile section off track in Centralia.
Melonas said the waters have ebbed and crews have inspected the track and as of this afternoon were in the process of making sure it was safe for rail traffic.
The double-tracked Vancouver-Seattle route handles 60 trains daily, including 10 Amtrak trains.
A section of track between Everett and Canada has also been cleared of floodwater and will also reopen, Melonas said.
All major rail routes in the state will be open after tonight, Melonas said. He said a secondary main line over Stampede Pass remains closed with a 40-foot deep washout at the pass.