Rail Operations Update

Announcement Number: CN2023-19
Categories: General Announcements
Posted Date: March 15, 2023

To Our Customers,

Extreme weather continues to impact portions of our network.

California

  • The latest atmospheric river has resulted in several additional feet of snow in the higher elevations between Sacramento, California and Reno, Nevada and 4-8 inches of rain in the lower elevations of the Sacramento Valley. Our local teams have been utilizing all available resources, including rotary plows, to clear snow from the tracks and right of ways. We have also experienced several mud and rock slides that have been quickly cleared. Customers should anticipate possible delays of up to 24 hours as we continue to mitigate these obstacles.
  • The flooding in the Watsonville area continues to prevent our crews from making repairs. As a result of the impassable route, embargo UP011723 for all rail stations from Watsonville to San Luis Obispo remains active. Customers with rail shipments moving through the impacted California areas should anticipate extended delays. Once the water recedes and we can fully assess the repairs required, we will provide an update including an estimated timeline for reopening the line and lifting the embargo.
  • Due to washouts from the heavy rains in the Southern California area, we now have track out of service from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, California. Our team is currently making repairs. We anticipate delays of at least 24 hours for traffic moving through this area.
  • Please refer to our announcement from yesterday for additional details.
  • Please refer to our Flood Planning & Recovery page for best practices to follow during flooding events.

Wyoming
We continue to clear the snow drifts that blocked a train on our main line between Rawlins and Green River, Wyoming. We expect that this blocked train will be cleared tomorrow which will result in both main lines being open. Customers should expect delays of at least 24 hours as we directionally run train traffic through the affected area.

We appreciate your patience as we work to safely restore service to these critical areas. If you have any questions, please contact Customer Care & Support at 800-272-8777 or your Union Pacific representative.