Western Railroad Discussion > UP Reopens Moffat Tunnel line 30 March

Top of the morning from 41°F partly cloudy Denver.

Rock slide cleared -😵😊. Union Pacific's Moffat Tunnel line was cleared of rocks late Friday, 29 March 2024.  Freight trains ran overnight.  Amtrak resumed service across Colorado on Saturday, 30 March 2024.

Amtrak's Winter Park Express departed Denver on time 7 AM Saturday, March 30th-!  Amtrak 23 is the leader going west.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/24 06:34 by cozephyr.

Thanks for the good news.

Just another spring day on the old D&RGW.  I knew several of the D&RGW MOW guys and Roadmasters with Moffat Line experience.  Back when, almost all of them were qualified to use explosives.  So, they would just hyrail up to the slide, set some charges, and "pop" the rocks, turning big boulders into bowling-ball-size rocks that could be moved with a Pettibone loader.  Those guys were skilled enough at blasting the rocks that they could do so without causing any additional track damage.  There aren't many "powder monkeys" anymore with that kind of experience.