Mudslide from heavy rains closes Seattle-Everett rail line

Published 9:29 pm Sunday, March 15, 2015

SEATTLE — An official says a mudslide from heavy rain has shut down a rail line between Seattle and Everett.

BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas says crews expect to have the line reopened for freight trains by midnight Sunday, but a two-day moratorium has been place on passenger trains as a precaution.

He says the slide hit the BNSF mainline about 22 miles north of Seattle, burying a 20-foot long stretch of track under 10 feet of mud and debris.

Crews are also working on two smaller slides closer to Seattle that hit the line’s right-of-way area but not the track.