Amtrak service between Seattle and Portland is on hold indefinitely after a fire tore through a vacant warehouse near the Oregon train station last week.
Almost all northbound train traffic has been restricted, Amtrak said in a statement, due to damage from the blaze at the 100-year-old building, which sits a half-mile from Portland’s Union Station. Substitute buses were running between Seattle and Portland to replace some trains, while other lines were canceled completely, Amtrak said.
Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Jenny Cherrytree told The Oregonian Friday that the passenger rail line between Vancouver and Portland remains closed.
An Amtrak spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the statement posted to Amtrak’s website says customers can rebook for no additional charge or cancel for a full refund.
According to Amtrak, here’s what’s going on with the trains between Seattle and its Northwest neighbor:
- 500 and 511 lines: Canceled completely, with no substitute buses available.
- 505, 506, 517 and 518 lines: For trains serving all stations between Seattle and Vancouver, Wash., passengers coming in or out of Portland will have to get to and from Vancouver themselves.
- Northbound 502, 504, 508 lines and southbound 503, 507, and 509 lines: Replacement buses are being offered instead of trains, stopping at all stations between Seattle and Portland.
- Trains between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., and trains between Portland and Eugene: Running normally. Passengers will transfer to buses if they’re going to any stations between Seattle and Portland.
For help with ticketing options, customers can call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL (800-872-7245).
OPB's article has a photo (and no paywall): https://www.opb.org/...
My immediate thought was "would they shut down an airport for this?" But then I looked at the area and the building. The warehouse was 7 floors and directly across a 3-lane street from the rail line: https://www.openstreetmap.org/...
It was a big enough fire and legitimately close enough for me to understand the need to re-examine the rail line for safety.
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