Two significant slides occurred overnight - one between Golden Gardens and Carkeek parks in Seattle, the other in Mukilteo, near Edmonds. The Seattle slide was cleared by 6 a.m. and the other was expected to be cleared by midday Friday, said spokesman Gus Melonas with Burlinton Northern Santa Fe, which owns and maintains the track.

A electronic slide-detector reported two other slides in the area - one about two miles south of Mukilteo and one a mile north of Carkeek Park, but they were minor, he said. The two more serious slides involved boulders and trees.

Freight traffic through the area - 40 trains a day - continued unimpeded using a second, parallel track, Melonas said. A 48-hour waiting period is required for safety reasons before resuming passenger traffic. That period will end at 1 a.m. Sunday, barring complications, he said.

The disruption affects about 700 commuters who use the Sounder train route. Sound Transit spokesman Lee Somerstein said buses were being used to transport commuters stranded at the Everett station.

Commuters should check the Sound Transit Web site for updates on Monday's commute, Somerstein said.

Amtrak runs six trains through the area daily.

Bus service will be used during the outage for the four north-south trains, two each between Seattle and Bellingham and between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, Melonas said. For the two daily runs between Chicago and Seattle, a route that goes through Everett, passengers will be bused between Seattle and Everett, Melonas said.

Amtrak officials did not immediately return calls.

The slide between Golden Gardens and Carkeek Park covered about 30 feet of track to a depth of about 2½ feet, with rocks and trees up to 25 feet tall. A rail crane went to the scene about 1 a.m. and had cleared the track by 6 a.m., Melonas said.

The crane then moved about 10 miles north to the slide area between Mukilteo and Edmonds. The slide there was less serious but included trees as much as 70 feet tall.

Check the Sound Transit Web site for updates on Monday's commute.