Caltrans hopes to get I80 open late Wednesday: Amtrak trains on the move again

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Passengers on two Amtrak trains heading through the Sierra on Tuesday evening had some excitement on their trips after a plow train was derailed near Soda Springs, fell through a trestle and blocked the tracks.

The east bound train with 155 passengers on board slept in the heated train, then resumed their trip to Chicago at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday after rotary plows cleared he tracks. Their trip puts them in the Windy City 16 hours behind schedule.

The west bound train was pulled back to Reno and the 165 passengers either slept in hotels or got to their destinations by other means.

Train tracks weren't the only thing closed overnight. I-80 remains closed but road crews are aiming for a late Wednesday night reopening. They have been experiencing avalanches over the roadway as well as feet of snow.

Many are thankful the conditions aren't a repeat of 1952 when a major blizzard engulfed Lake Tahoe and the Sierra, shutting down Interstate 40 (precursor to I-80) for 30 days straight and a luxury train was stopped cold in the mountains with 226 passengers and crew on board. It was January 13, 1952 when the train rammed into a deep snow slide east of Yuba Gap, about 20 miles west of Donner Pass. They were trapped for three days until the storm ended on January 16.

To check current road conditions on I80 and other California roads, visit http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/.