Its been a bad week for Sounder.
The second mudslide of the week early this morning knocked out Sound Transits Everett-to-Seattle commuter service for the third day this week.
Trains didnt roll this morning, and they wont tonight, said Bruce Gray, a Sound Transit spokesman.
Train passengers were put on Gray Line buses this morning, and riders will find buses to take them home this evening at the same times the Sounder trains usually head north, Gray said. The buses are scheduled to load at 4th Avenue and Jackson near King Street Station in Seattle.
“That pretty much shuts us down for the rest of the year,” Gray said. “We were hoping to finish the year with service, but Mother Nature is not cooperating.”
The 4 a.m. mudslide occurred near the same Seattle location that was struck by a slide early Wednesday morning, said Gus Melonas, a spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
He said passenger service cant resume until 4 a.m. Sunday morning, which means no Sounder service today, and no Amtrak service today and Saturday.
Amtrak passengers on the Chicago to Seattle route are being bused from Everett to Seattle and passengers on their way to Vancouver B.C. are being bused as well.
The tracks were not damaged, but all passenger service must be halted for 48 hours so that the safety of the tracks can be checked, Melonas said.
Freight service resumed at 7:30 a.m. today, Melonas said. It normally resumes as soon as the mud is cleared off the tracks, he said.
There was no rain last night, but the soil was already saturated from past storms, Melonas said. He said it appears strong winds may have triggered the slide.
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