PETALUMA, Calif. — Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit has extended its service cancellation through today (Tuesday, Oct. 29) because of the ongoing shutdown of power in large portions of Northern California.
The power shutdown, an effort by utility Pacific Gas & Electric to keep downed power lines from starting fires, knocks out traffic signals at SMART grade crossings.
SMART also cancelled service on Monday. [See “SMART cancels commuter rail service because of power outage,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 29, 2019.] Visit the SMART website for more information and updates.
……and nobody missed it. The trains are empty all the time.
FWIW SMART is giving its passengers free rides thru the 6th of November.
Wednesday morning. SMART is running again, San Rafael to Santa Rosa only. Points north of Santa Rosa are still embargoed. So sayeth the Press-Democrat.
Mister Foster:
There isn’t a local “rent a flagger” company, you can get labour but you have to train them. And at the moment every one is too busy just trying to survive. There is no power, there is little or no food, there is little or no drinking water, there is no gasoline. Generators are stopping for lack of fuel, the only fuel for vehicles is what is in their tanks.
Picture a war zone from some war movie set in Europe. Nobody is shooting at you, but this is pretty much how bad things are.
The above comments are genetic in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Drink Bear Whiz Beer.
Could they use flaggers from the local “rent a flagger” company or are there just too many grade crossings to make that practical?
It bothered me when I lived in Maine that the Downeaster could be cancelled so much during snowstorms due to unpowered crossing gates when commercial power went out. Even if the tracks were clear of debris. Not so much all weather transportation anymore if so dependent on the surrounding infrastructure.
There was a time when railroads were more independent…
If SMART had more people they could put on the ground, they could just have people at the grade crossings. SMART only has roughly 135 people.