(The following article by Carla Roccapriore was posted on the Reno Gazette-Journal website on January 20.)
RENO, Nevada — A flood-damaged rail line in Southern Nevada means five to 10 additional trains being re-routed daily through Reno, Union Pacific Railroad says.
Reno typically averages 14 trains per day.
Flooding damaged an 80-mile stretch of railroad in a canyon south of Caliente in Lincoln County. That’s about 130 miles northeast of Las Vegas near the Utah line.
The freight rail line was closed Jan. 9, but Union Pacific plans to have it operating Monday, said John Bromley, spokesman for the Omaha, Neb.-based railroad.
The canyon channeled floodwaters that washed the roadbed out from under the tracks and damaged bridges and signals, Bromley said. Crews are rebuilding washed-out roads, and trains are hauling rock to fill the washouts.
Leslie Brown, owner of Jade Distribution on Vine Street, said her office backs up to the track.
She’s noticed more trains recently.
“Usually it doesn’t bother me too much, but they’ve been coming through quite frequently lately,” Brown said. “We just kind of live with it.”
Other people haven’t noticed the extra trains.
“When you’ve been here 20 years, you don’t pay attention to them as much,” said Denny McMullen, owner of Denny’s Dependable Automotive on Washington Street. “I’ve pretty much blocked it out.”
Long Hoang, owner of Long’s Barbershop on Vine Street, said he grew up near railroads and agreed with McMullen.
“I get used to it,” Hoang said.
Amy Clark, manager of Butlers Uniforms on Keystone Avenue, said she wasn’t aware of more trains coming through in the past two weeks.
“I haven’t noticed because I’m busy working,” Clark said.
The railroad route through Caliente links Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City to the Midwest.
Reno’s line is more congested than normal but “there is no way to give a sweeping generalization of delays,” Bromley said.