SEATTLE — Amtrak service between Seattle and Portland, Ore., remains suspended following a second landslide on the route, KIRO-TV reports.
Service had been slated to resume at 8:30 a.m. today (Thursday, Dec. 7), but additional slide activity now means that the closure has been extended through Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:22 a.m., according to an advisory on the Amtrak Alerts social media site. Trains continue to operate south of Portland and between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, with buses bridging the intermediate portion.
BNSF Railway requires a moratorium on passenger activity following a slide. Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight trains are affected.
Was wondering if any of the slide activity is being caused by development. Many years ago (the last time I visited the area), their was nowhere near the development around the rail lines as their is now. Friends or family have told me that with the development a lot of trees are gone (people want great views). With the large trees gone, nothing is really holding the soil in place allowing slides more frequently and larger.