OAKRIDGE, Ore. — An Amtrak Coast Starlight train stranded 40 miles east of Eugene since Sunday night was towed back to Eugene on Tuesday after passengers were stuck for more than 36 hours, KGW8 reports.
Union Pacific crews worked overnight Monday to clear the tracks, which allowed a Union Pacific locomotive to reach the train and start towing it Tuesday morning.
The Coast Starlight train, which was carrying 183 passengers, left Seattle for Los Angeles early Sunday and struck a tree that had fallen on the tracks that evening. Amtrak said it kept the passengers on-board the train for safety reasons, because the power was out in the town of Oakridge, the closest populated place to the train; roads were blocked by debris; and more than a foot of snow had fallen in the area by Monday. For the full story, click here.
The new center serves as the central hub for monitoring and managing PATCO train operations, communications, customer service coordination, incident response, and overall operational oversight across the transit system.
Despite these pressures, VIA Rail is reporting that total revenues increased to $514.8 million as more travelers took advantage of the wide range of options available through the corporation’s new reservation system.
Created in partnership with Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners, the contractor for CTA’s historic $5.7 billion RLE project, the new $250,000 scholarship program will provide three students a year from 2026 to 2030 with $3,000 scholarships.
Operation Lifesaver awarded $220,200 in grants to 12 states to support rail safety campaigns focused on grade crossing awareness and trespass prevention.
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In this Consultant Roundtable, Carmen C. Cham shares insights on how agencies can create spaces that are intuitive, connected and built for long-term impact.