It was a train wreck of a happy ending for the Turlock Irrigation District on Tuesday.

The Turlock Irrigation District Board of Directors reached a settlement with Amtrak to pay $38,907.22 in costs related to an Aug. 26 collision between an Amtrak train and a TID truck – significantly less than had been projected.

The accident occurred as a TID bucket truck and a digger truck travelled down a dirt road, which runs parallel to Santa Fe Road and the railroad, about a quarter mile south of East Avenue. The trucks kicked up dust as they drove, shortly before attempting to cross a private railroad crossing.

The bucket truck crossed safely, but as the digger truck passed over the tracks the driver caught sight of the train. The driver put the car in reverse and attempted to back off the tracks when the train, travelling approximately 85 mph, clipped the front of the truck.

The accident caused “significant damage” to both the train and the truck, but no one was injured.

The settlement with Amtrak was one of three settlements discussed in the TID Board of Directors’ closed session meeting on Tuesday. Directors declined to take action on the other two matters, however.

Pre-irrigation season meeting set

The Turlock Irrigation District will host its 2011 Pre-Irrigation Season Irrigation Grower Meeting on March 2, the district announced Tuesday. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the TID Board Room, located at 333 E. Canal Dr.

The meeting will provide an opportunity for growers, business owners, and the public to receive an update on the 2011 Irrigation Season and to ask questions. Topics will include the status of the Tuolumne River Watershed, the irrigation season outlook, and the relicensing of the Don Pedro Project.