BNSF California trestle burns
CHOWCHILLA, Calif. – A Burlington Northern Santa Fe trestle at Sharon, Calif., 95 miles southeast of Stockton and 35 miles northwest of Fresno on the former Santa Fe San Joaquin valley main line, was destroyed by fire about 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning. Operations were suspended briefly until a temporary “shoofly” bypass could be constructed. About 60 trains a day, including Amtrak’s San Joaquin trains, use the Bakersfield to San Francisco Bay Area route.
The 420-foot trestle, built in the 1930’s by Santa Fe, is on BNSF’s Stockton Subdivision. A new trestle or bridge is expected to be installed by the end of next week, replacing the shoofly. The cause of the blaze, discovered by the crew of an approaching freight train, has not been released.
Amtrak on Nov. 19 substituted buses between Merced and Fresno for passengers on the San Joaquins, which link Oakland and Sacramento with Bakersfield. The San Joaquin trains are operating normally today with a slight delay as trains navigate the shoofly.
