Pacific Railroad predicts losses of up to $5 million from added costs of rerouting trains, plus the expense of reinforcing the inside of the tunnel, said Dan Lovelady, the company’s general manager

About four feet of snow has fallen at the tunnel since Christmas, nearly blocking the south end of the tunnel and slowing access to the north end.

On Nov. 17 a fire of unknown cause was found near the north end of Tunnel 13, which crosses the Siskiyou Summit south of Ashland.

It burned support timbers and caused debris to collapse for about 400 feet near the north end of the tunnel.

Meanwhile, about 20 timber companies that rely on the railroad between Weed, Calif., and Eugene are still adjusting.

Swanson Group of Glendale north of Grants Pass has been loading lumber and plywood on railroad cars six or seven days a week instead of the normal five, and has relied more on trucks to make deliveries.

With trains being routed north to Eugene, then south to Klamath Falls, it takes 10 to 13 days for products to reach California destinations, instead of five.