MUDSLIDE HITS RAILROAD TRACKS BETWEEN SEATTLE, EVERETT IN WASHINGTON STATE
February 6,
2015
EVERETT,
Wash. (AP) - A mudslide Friday morning covered the Burlington Northern Santa Fe
railroad tracks just south of Everett.
Spokesman
Gus Melonas (mel-OWN'-us) says the tracks have been cleared for freight trains
Friday afternoon but Amtrak and Sound Transit passenger trains have to wait 48
hours - until late Sunday morning - to resume. Rail passengers are bused
between Seattle and Everett during the safety moratorium.
Melonas
says BNSF geotechnical experts are monitoring steep slopes along the tracks for
stability.
Recent
heavy rains are likely responsible for the mudslide that covered the tracks 5
feet deep. The rail line south of Everett runs along Puget Sound at the base of
a bluff and is frequently hit by mudslides.