LOS ANGELES — After two days of disruptions, train service interrupted by downed power lines between Los Angeles and the City of Commerce is set to resume.
Amtrak is showing that the eastbound Southwest Chief departing LA today (Jan. 28) will serve its stops at Fullerton and Riverside, Calif., after two days in which trains were rerouted and skipped those stops. And Pacific Surfliner service, which has seen full or partial cancellations the last two days, is reporting train No. 595, the 9:01 p.m. departure from San Diego for Los Angeles, will operate between Fullerton and LA as scheduled. Otherwise, regular Surfliner service will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Also, commuter rail operator Metrolink — which suspended operation on its Riverside, 91/Perris Valley, and Orange County lines Monday and today — says service will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
KCBS-TV reports that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has had crews working overtime to repair damaged towers that carried the power lines above the LA River and the rail lines.
If the petroleum and natural gas industries can build long distance, local & regional pipelines, I would think that certainly, both the power line AC & DC X-mission line industries could do likewise, and at various voltage levels, especially with high voltage direct current (HVDC), where applicable.
https://nextgenhighways.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/NGH_Introduction-Buried-HVDC-Transmission-DOTs.pdf
I should add, unfortunately catenary is the exception to my above comment. Where forest fire destruction is concerned, dual fuel locomotives like the NH’s FL9s or battery hybrids could be used.
@Jeff Hammer
The relocation of HV power lines to an underground easement is possible but several issues have to be confronted when doing so.
– Heat dissipation, these high tension power lines give off a great deal of heat. In New York and Chicago, when underground, they are in jackets of mineral oil to wick off the heat they generate.
– Cost, utilities have shown a immense aversion to underground placement due to the cost involved.
I recently read that a utility was compelled to raise their HV power lines so that a inland sea port could accommodate Panamax and taller cruise ships.
It was going to cost $105 million to design and build a taller and hurricane resistant HV power line system. When people showed shock (no pun!) at the expense, tunnels were recommended, the utility said the tunnel would have to big very large , enough for crews to drive through and enough to keep the wires cool. Something they couldn’t do for $105 million.
Hello John Rice, thanks for that reply. It appears that the US. power cos. are planning more and more electric power distribution for a number of reasons; like charging all those electric vehicles, rapid transit projects, and NYC’s campaign to eliminate natural gas in favor of all NEW all-electric hi-rise construction, solar and wind farm distribution, just to name a few.
And lets not forget forest fires due to power line maintenance neglect, where sometimes the aerial power lines are the cause of forest fires, and other times the victim of fires.
Then there is the health crowd who campaign against EMFs from AC powerlines.
When I visited north Phoenix, AZ as early as the mid 70s, all modern residential home power lines were buried in backyard utility alley ways with above ground steel transformer cabinets. And of course cities like NYC are no stranger to properly designed, buried power lines, even across rivers.
All these suggested power line upgrades can’t be accomplished overnight, but especially through attrition over time for aerial power line replacement projects. Burying new replacement power lines in and along existing power line easements should be a big help in acquiring RoW real estate , where ever possible.
IMHO, it appears to me that much future buried power line construction over time is inevitable, with of course, the exception of RR RoW catenary.
As n aside, I might further add that when I was young visiting NYC, (and Wash. DC), I saw evidence in some streets of split middle track, buried 3rd rails for trolley traction motor feeds; think Lionel, lol! But it has been said they were difficult to maintain due to ice, snow, and related salting, thus their demise.
How was the power line gouge on the rail repaired? Did the power line short out any signal parts? What kind of power line towers were involved?
What type(s) of pole(s) was involved? Mono pole – wooden, concrete, steel? If so did break off or uprooted? If lattice type(s) did framework fail, any rust breakage, uprooted, ETC? . DID wires have a change of direction on pole(s) involved? How many wires as picture seems to show more than 3.