Union Pacific will be replacing rail along various stretches of the railroad tracks in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Oxnard and Ventura over the next month.
Union Pacific will be replacing rail along various stretches of the railroad tracks in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Oxnard and Ventura over the next month.
The work is necessary to maintain the safe operation of passenger and freight service. Approximately 40 miles of track will be replaced. During construction activities, nearby residents will hear additional horn sounding from the trains, which is required by law during construction activities, according to a news release.
Residents will also hear construction noise as work is conducted, including equipment with back-up warning devices, along with bright lights to illuminate work areas, officials said.
Maintenance activities will begin Jan. 6 and crews will work evenings from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. The work cannot be done during daylight hours due to passenger rail on the corridor, which could not establish bus-bridges due to the pandemic. Workers will be on an eight-day-on, six-day-off schedule, and will typically work from Tuesday through Tuesday.
Work will begin with replacing several small rail segments from Oxnard to Santa Barbara. Once this is completed, crews will begin replacing rail in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Montecito, and will continue to San Luis Obispo. Crews will move from south to north.
— Mitchell White
