(The San Jose Mercury News posted the following article on its website on July 13.)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Altamont Pass has re-opened for freight trains following this morning’s rail closure caused by grass fires.
Union Pacific spokesman James Barnes said investigators gave the go-ahead as of 11 a.m. and that trains are expected to run this afternoon.
Altamont Commuter Express trains from San Jose to Stockton will not resume service this afternoon, however, an ACE spokesman said. The commuter trains are expected to run again Friday, starting at 4:20 a.m. from Stockton, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
“It’s not an ideal situation,” Barnes said. “And of course, we will continue to monitor the area.”
All service halted early this morning after a Union Pacific railroad engineer noticed smoke coming from the ties.
Railroad workers will work with firefighters throughout the day to dump water on hot rails and check for possible flare-ups.
Barnes said as many as 19 trains travel the San Jose-Stockton stretch each day.