An Altamont Corridor Express train stalled and became stuck on the tracks Tuesday morning along Niles Canyon after being struck by a landslide, according to the Alameda County Fire Department and an ACE train official.
The ACE train, heading westbound, did not derail, and there were no injuries, fire officials said, after the the train reportedly was struck by mud and trees, the ACE spokesperson said.
“We were riding along and then we heard a loud jerking sound and it just stopped,” said Richard James of San Ramon.
There were 220 passengers on the train.
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“You could see the mountain hitting the window and on the other side the river was muddy,” said Fatemeh Rasouli of Pleasanton.
More than four hours after the train stopped, the passengers were all consolidated into three cars which were disconnected and hooked up to another train that pulled the cars back to Pleasanton.
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Once they arrived, many passengers loaded into buses headed for their destinations.
Some stayed on the train and headed back to Stockton, and others said the ordeal was too much and they went home.
Over the past few weeks, Highway 84 along the Niles Canyon corridor has been shut down multiple times due to landslides caused by recent storms.
Some passengers questioned why, with the area closed to vehicle traffic because of slides, the train was allowed to go through.
An CAE train spokesman said Union Pacific gave the green light for trains to travel through Niles Canyon, and two other trains had already safely made the trip.
ACE added that the train affected was still operational and would move again once given the all clear.
