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A mudslide on rail tracks in Washington state has shut down Amtrak's route between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, officials said.
Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said mudslides north of Vancouver, Washington, led to a 48-hour moratorium. The rail lines extending from Eugene, Oregon, north to Vancouver are owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, and the Amtrak Cascades train runs along those lines.
Graham said passengers traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle are also affected by the shutdown. Amtrak will provide bus service for all ticketed passengers throughout the weekend and until rail line reopens, she said.
Heavy rains caused the mudslide near Vancouver, said Jamie Holter, a spokeswoman for the Washington Department of Transportation.
"It has been raining like crazy for the past few days here," she said Saturday.
Two rail lines -- one used to carry freight and one used to transport passengers -- were affected by Saturday night's slight, said Gus Melonas, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
Debris from a landslide six miles north of Vancouver shut down the tracks just after 6 p.m. Saturday, he said.
The debris was about 40 feet long and 4 feet deep, Melonas said. Crews were working to reopen one of the two lines of track so freight transport can resume.
They had removed some debris, Melonas said early Sunday, including a 60-foot tall tree that was covering both rail lines.
Melonas said he expected the freight side to reopen Sunday morning. An average of 40 freight trains travel that line daily, he added.
The second of the two lines -- the one that Amtrak runs along -- is expected to reopen Monday evening.
Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said mudslides north of Vancouver, Washington, led to a 48-hour moratorium. The rail lines extending from Eugene, Oregon, north to Vancouver are owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, and the Amtrak Cascades train runs along those lines.
Graham said passengers traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle are also affected by the shutdown. Amtrak will provide bus service for all ticketed passengers throughout the weekend and until rail line reopens, she said.
Heavy rains caused the mudslide near Vancouver, said Jamie Holter, a spokeswoman for the Washington Department of Transportation.
"It has been raining like crazy for the past few days here," she said Saturday.
Two rail lines -- one used to carry freight and one used to transport passengers -- were affected by Saturday night's slight, said Gus Melonas, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.
Debris from a landslide six miles north of Vancouver shut down the tracks just after 6 p.m. Saturday, he said.
The debris was about 40 feet long and 4 feet deep, Melonas said. Crews were working to reopen one of the two lines of track so freight transport can resume.
They had removed some debris, Melonas said early Sunday, including a 60-foot tall tree that was covering both rail lines.
Melonas said he expected the freight side to reopen Sunday morning. An average of 40 freight trains travel that line daily, he added.
The second of the two lines -- the one that Amtrak runs along -- is expected to reopen Monday evening.