OMAHA, Neb. — Widespread flooding across the Union Pacific system has forced the railroad to announce a number of service embargoes.
A UP notice to customers notes that flooding and track washouts have UP lines out of service in the Omaha, Blair, Columbus, Lincoln, and Falls City subdivisions, and that the widespread nature of the flooding means the railroad has “very limited” rerouting capacity. As a result, all traffic on those subdivisions has been embargoed, except for railroad materials needed to repair the routes.
“Additional operational impacts,” the notice states, “may include delayed movement of manifest, bulk, and intermodal trains through the impacted areas, including holding trains at strategic locations until service can be restored.”
UP also has troubles moving traffic between Spokane, Wa. and Hermiston(Hinkle) Oregon. There is apparently a tunnel out there in the channeled scablands of eastern Wa. UP had a train derail inside this tunnel and it’s taking awhile to clear the mess up. They have started to move some trains over the BNSF but that requires several switching moves in the Pasco, Wa. area to do it. I noticed this morning while watching trains move thru Spokane, that operations still were not up to normal traffic flows.
I have to admit, even though I’m not a fan in any way shape or form of UP corporate practices. However, living in the Omaha area I am actually very proud of actions they took to help people in some of the flooded communities. WOWT, the local NBC affiliate, reported over the weekend that UP was using their equipment to evacuate people out Waterloo and Valley, 2 towns that were completely and quickly cut off from all other transportation options as the water came up, and the levees failed. The tracks were still passable to get from Valley through Waterloo, and on to Elkhorn (Omaha). They were taking the evacuees to Elkhorn Middle School.
Why can’t TRAINS post a map of effected UP lines like they did of BNSF. How can we see where all these subdivision names are located. Those name are not on the ESSO maps.
I don’t own each of those books of railroad maps published by the English outfit.
Well, it is UP… I guess the only place they can go is, UP. Sorry, couldn’t resist
Well, here’s the high water. Now all we need is Hell.
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.