Amtrak Cascades routes restored using temporary replacement cars

Amtrak will restore round-trip train service on its Cascades route Tuesday, nearly a week after the company took most of its rail cars on that route out of operation for maintenance.

Amtrak last week took 26 Horizon rail cars off its Cascades route between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., after rust began to accumulate on the exterior and structural steel. That had left the company with only one train running daily between Seattle and Eugene, with additional bus service filling the gap.

Amtrak said it will use Amfleet 1 rail cars from train systems across the United States as temporary replacements.

The first rescue rail cars are coming from Chicago, said Amtrak spokesperson Kelly Just. Those cars will restore the No. 516 and No. 519 routes between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., first.

More rail cars from New York, North Carolina and the Midwest will be integrated into the Cascades routes throughout the week, Just said, eventually restoring the entire service, albeit with fewer cars on the trains.

Just could not say how many fewer seats riders should expect, nor how many rail cars will replace the 26 cars undergoing repairs.

Amtrak also does not yet have a timeline for restoring its Horizon rail cars to the Cascades route, Just said.