Sacramento rail trestle fire brings delays; new bridge under way

Sacramento rail trestle fire brings delays; new bridge under way Sacramento rail passenger and freight traffic are facing delays today after a three-day fire destroyed a 60-year-old railroad mainline trestle bridge near downtown last week.
   The still smoldering rubble of the 1,400-feet-long double-track span over the American River, a major chokepoint for passenger and freight trains running through the state capitol towards northern California and points beyond was mostly cleared by Monday morning, allowing Union Pacific crews to begin construction of a new concrete and steel replacement bridge.
   The first track on the replacement bridge is expected to be opened in about two weeks with the second track coming on line in about a month and a half. UP estimates the rebuilding effort will cost from $25 million to $30 million.
   While construction of the replacement bridge begins, the aftermath of the fire is bringing serious delays and possible bus trips to passengers of the four Amtrak passenger trains that normally cross the bridge each day. The track is also a major freight route and lengthy delays are expected for UP freight trains that must now be rerouted around the bridge. Normally, more than 50 trains crossed the bridge each day.
   Freight traffic is being routed around the bridge through the midtown Sacramento area, bringing nearly double the normal number of freight trains through the area each day. Delays are expected as congestion builds on the slower moving route through the city proper.
   Passenger trains inbound from the east are being rerouted about 125 miles north of Sacramento — a trip of about three to four hours — before heading back into the city area to reconnect to the mainline past the destroyed bridge. Some passenger trains are being rerouted about 50 miles south through Stockton and some of the shortest trips are shifting to buses.
   Forty miles north of Sacramento, UP crews working round the clock finished a connector track at a major rail junction Sunday. The new track allows a seamless switch between two mainline tracks and cuts more than an hour off the northern detour route.
   The 1,400-feet-long creosote-timber structure caught fire late Thursday, less than 15 minutes after a passenger train had passed over its span on the American River, and just within sight of the state capitol building.
   By Thursday night, flames spread to the entire structure and were visible for more than 50 miles. Thick acrid smoke pouring more than 2,000 feet in the air led to a public health advisory for people to stay inside and close their windows. State officials declared the air quality situation over late Saturday.
   The fire is still under investigation, but a UP official told the Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 'it is a suspicious fire,' and local fire officials appealed for help from any possible witnesses to the start of the blaze. Passengers on an Amtrak train passing over the bridge just 15 minutes before the fire was first spotted reported seeing nothing suspicious on the bridge.