COOS BAY, Ore. — Three tunnels on the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad (CORP) “need immediate repairs to permit the safe resumption of railroad operations,” meaning the railroad was correct to close the passageways, the Federal Railroad Administration said in a statement.
“FRA agrees that all three tunnels need immediate repairs to permit the safe resumption of railroad operations,” the administration said.
In September, CORP made the decision to embargo rail traffic on its Coos Bay Subdivision line as a result of the tunnel safety issues. The three tunnels are located between Eugene, Ore., and Coquille, Ore.
FRA reached its determination after a team of federal inspectors, lead by the agency’s Chief Engineer for Bridges and Structures, compared the tunnel conditions identified in the CORP engineering report with their own observations made during an on-site review.
— Railfanning.org News Wire