(The Associated Press circulated the following article on August 14.)
PORTLAND, Ore. — Union Pacific officials blamed the weather for last month’s derailment of 37 freight cars in southern Oregon.
Union Pacific spokesman James Barnes said the extreme heat buckled the railroad track the runs next to Upper Klamath Lake. The derailment halted rail operations in some parts of the West Coast for three days.
“While we work very had to try to prevent these types of incidents, they do occur,” Barnes said. “We’re just thankful there were no injuries.”
Though rail service has resumed, most of the cars remain next to the track. When damaged cars cannot be placed back on the rails, they must be individually broken down and hauled away, Barnes said.
The Klamath Basin had an unusually prolonged heat spell in the weeks before the derailment. Crews had started rail upgrade work in the general area before the accident. The crews were south of the site, however, so it’s unclear if their work could have prevented the derailment.
Amtrak officials have repeatedly said the Union Pacific line repairs are a factor in passenger train delays. Recently, the Train Riders Association of California reported the Coast Starlight, which stops in Klamath Falls on its daily north- and southbound travels between San Diego and Seattle, have been routinely running 5 to 15 hours late.
Amtrak officials said ridership on the Coast Starlight has declined 26 percent since 1999, and since last October only 2 percent of Amtrak passengers arrived at their destinations on time. Many of the delays have occurred on track between Portland and Sacramento.
Barnes acknowledged that the repairs are a factor in the delays.
“We recognize the short-term pain but we know there’s going to be long-term gains,” Barnes said. “We do recognize it’s inconvenient now for a lot of people.”