Derailed Train Cars Likely Set for Restoration: ACE Train Officials

SUNOL, CA: More than two weeks after an Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) Train derailment plunged one car into Alameda Creek in Niles Canyon while partially derailing a second car, ACE Train officials say the cars are cleaned up and awaiting inspection by structural engineers.

ACE officials are still hoping to salvage the car that landed in the creek, originally valued at about $2 million. According to ACE spokesman Steve Walker, due changes in design, replacement cost for the two derailed cars would be $4 million per car.

“As long as the frame is okay, and a lot of the damage is cosmetic, the cars can be restored,” Walker told Patch.

Walker says the costs of replacing the windows and fixing the dents are still being assessed.

“Restoration would be faster and cheaper than replacing the cars, which could take up to two years,” Walker said.

Walker said passengers will not likely notice any changes in service while the cars are being repaired because ACE deploys spare equipment when cars are taken out of commission for repairs.

The March 7 derailment of the Stockton-bound train was blamed on a mudslide that covered the tracks with debris. Nine people were injured, four seriously.

Previous coverage:

• Mudslide Cause of Train Derailment That Injured 9, Officials Say
• California Commuter Train Plunges Into Creek In Sunol; 9 Injured

Following the derailment, ridership dipped briefly but has since rebounded, according to Walker.

Photo courtesy Alameda County Fire Twitter