GAVIOTA, Calif. — Union Pacific and Amtrak operations along the Coast Line in Santa Barbara County have been shut down by a washout that led to an incident in which a maintenance worker was injured.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department reports it responded at 7:47 a.m. today (Jan. 6, 2026) to an incident north of Santa Barbara in which an excavator removing debris fell approximately 10 feet into a “large erosion event.” Union Pacific said in a statement that the excavator, operated by a contractor, rolled down a hill, damaging the tracks below. The excavator operator was able to climb back up to the tracks, where he was evaluated by fire crews, then transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with minor injuries.
The railroad says crews are on site conducting repairs but as of 5:30 p.m. Central it has no estimate when train service will be restored.
Most traffic on that portion of the Coast Line is Amtrak passenger service. The Amtrak Alert social media site reports today’s northbound Coast Starlight has been cancelled between Los Angeles and Emeryville, Calif.; the southbound trains that departed Seattle on Monday and today have also been cancelled between Emeryville and L.A. Pacific Surfliner service is suspended between Goleta and San Luis Obispo, affecting two daily round trips, although Amtrak Connection bus service continues between the two stations.
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I am a little confused, the excavator is secured to a hytraker cart that allows it to operate from the rail. The excavator can’t traverse on the ground in its normal manner when it is secured to the the cart. So was it operating on the tracks and derailed, or did it roll down a hill damaging the tracks below?