The Region - News from May 4, 1987

Repair of burned timbers in a 1,300-foot tunnel for California’s main coastal rail line will probably take most of the week, a Southern Pacific Railroad spokesman said. The tunnel near San Luis Obispo will be restructured with concrete shoring and, “with any luck,” will be open for normal use late in the week, spokesman Jerry Pera said. The fire closed the primary coastal rail line between Northern and Southern California and interrupted rail service to communities along the route, including Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Salinas and San Jose. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight service from Seattle to Los Angeles, which carries 300 to 400 passengers daily, was among the rail services affected. Amtrak and Southern Pacific trains were rerouted through the San Joaquin Valley.