Amtrak trains to and from Vancouver back on the rails
Image | Amtrak Downeaster
Caption: Amtrak temporarily removed 26 passenger cars from service that usually operate on the Cascades line between Vancouver and Eugene, Ore., due to issues with corrosion. (Robert F. Bukaty/The Associated Press)
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Passenger train service is largely back on the rails in Vancouver, including to and from Seattle and Portland, after Amtrak briefly pulled more than two dozen train cars from service over corrosion concerns.
U.S.-based Amtrak removed the cars last week after saying recent inspections had found issues with aging and corrosion on 26 of them.
Passengers were bused to and from their destinations instead, with the option of a refund, rebooking or reimbursement if the passenger had paid for business class.
The Cascades route has 18 stops, including its northernmost terminus in Vancouver and southernmost in Eugene, Ore.
WATCH | Amtrak to and from Vancouver off the rails:
Media Video | Amtrak cancels some train trips between B.C. and Oregon
Caption: American passenger rail corporation, Amtrak, is replacing most of its railcars with buses along its Cascades route. The fleet was pulled after inspectors found corrosion on the railcars. As Jon Hernandez reports, train passengers weren't too thrilled to see their travel plans upended.
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On Sunday, Amtrak spokesperson Kelly Just confirmed that the trains were restored and now operating on schedule.
"Since each replacement train is running with a limited number of cars and fewer available seats, we encourage customers to book in advance," she wrote in a statement.
Amtrak said the Bombardier-built passenger cars have been in service since 1989. Across its entire operation, the company temporarily removed a total of 70 of the Bombardier Horizon cars.
"During daily routine inspections, we spotted some corrosion and so we pulled some of the fleet and had them undergo more intensive inspection, and came to the conclusion that the corrosion was to a level that we worried about the structural integrity during a crash," Just said at the time of the cars being pulled.
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