Slide causes service disruption on Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in southwest Colorado

A slide has covered a portion of the tracks with debris and rocks of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The slide happened on Monday night at milepost 486 which is just north of Needleton in southwest Colorado. 

The slide caused an interruption of service to Silverton and both Silverton trains were rerouted to Cascade Canyon on Tuesday. 

Maintenance crews worked to clear the slide and restore the tracks. There is no estimate on when full service will be restored. 

There was also a service disruption in the same area last month when heavy rain brought rock and mud off a hillside and across the tracks. 

About two hundred feet of track was covered by a landslide just above the Needleton stop last month.

During the typical summer schedule, the D&SNGRR runs up to three train excursions to Silverton every day. Shorter trips to Cascade Canyon and the system's new Highline Express, the train's shortest summer excursion and the only evening option, also launch daily from Durango.  

According to D&SNGRR, the "Denver and Rio Grande Railroad established Durango in 1881 to supply miners working in the San Juan Mining District. Since then, the narrow gauge railway has connected passengers to the rugged wilderness and high-mountain landscapes of the San Juan Mountains for over 142 years. D&SNGRR is recognized as a registered historical landmark by the National Park Service and attracts thousands of visitors annually."