Thursday, May 22, 2014

Train Derailment Delays Passenger Train Service

According to the Spokesman-Review, a freight train has derailed in North Idaho near the Kootenai River, but BNSF officials said nothing has spilled into the waterway and no hazardous materials were involved.

BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said the train with three locomotives derailed at 1:55 a.m. Thursday, five miles east of Bonners Ferry. The train, which originated in Great Falls, Montana, and was heading through Spokane to Pasco was carrying 116 loads of general merchandise, including beer products (what? You've got my attention), rock material and grain.

Melonas says up to 19 cars derailed, and some “rock product” spilled. Response teams are on the site and the railway line could be closed for up to 24 hours during the cleanup. The cause of the derailment has not been determined.

In the meantime, this seriously delayed the arrival of the Amtrak train in Spokane. According to an Amtrak employee I talked to this morning (we work in the same building), passengers were put on buses in Montana and are being driven to Spokane. No word when they'll arrive.

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About SRTC

SRTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Spokane County. Urbanized areas with populations exceeding 50,000 people are required to have an MPO. SRTC was formed to address the county's transportation planning needs. It provides coordination in planning between the public, cities, small towns, the county, the state, transit providers, and tribes.

SRTC offers services including transportation monitoring, transportation modeling, census information analysis, travel demand forecasting, historical traffic count analysis, geographic information systems, and trip generation rates.