Sacramento rail trestle replacement fully open
The Union Pacific Monday completed work on the 1,400-feet-long replacement Sacramento rail trestle that closed last month after a dramatic fire that burned for several days.
An Amtrak Capitol Corridor passenger sped across the track Monday, marking the end of construction for the $30 million concrete-and-steel replacement.
Omaha, Neb.-based UP has garnered unanimous praise for its speedy replacement of the rail bottleneck that has created delays and serious detours for passenger and freight trains moving through the capital city. More than 50 trains a day typically moved across the trestle before the fire.
The double-tracked structure is a chokepoint on the UP system, connecting the Port of Oakland and the San Francisco Bay area with the rest of the United States. Trains normally traveling over the trestle and adjacent bridge on the American River were forced to take alternative routes that in some cases added hours to the trip.
UP has had 135 workers in 12-hour shifts working on the replacement since the fire occurred on March 15. The first track of the structure opened last week.
The cause of the fire has been labeled by law enforcement officials as 'suspicious' in origin, and UP has offered a reward for information about whoever may have started the blaze.
Sacramento rail trestle replacement fully open
