Passenger rail service, including the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, is scheduled to fully resume through South Orange County on June 7.
That follows the planned completion of construction on the initial phase of emergency work to reinforce the most vulnerable areas along the rail line in San Clemente.
Landslides and instability have led to multiple halts to service along the coastal rail line since 2021, stoppages that also affect Metrolink, which has two lines that reach the Oceanside Pier in North County.
As the services resume normal schedules, Pacific Surfliner – the Amtrak link through Southern California to San Diego – and Metrolink passengers are asked to check for the latest updates online.
The Orange County Transportation Authority, in partnership with Metrolink, started construction in late April, and it proceeded faster than expected, allowing passenger service to open slightly ahead of schedule.
Nearly 6,000 tons of large boulders, also known as riprap, were set throughout the project areas to protect the track.
Phases for emergency repairs to the coastal rail line. (File photo courtesy of OCTA)The rock was sorted and placed primarily within the area where riprap previously existed to protect against coastal erosion. Approximately 240,000 cubic yards of sand also will be placed on the beach in Areas 1 and 2 between Mariposa Point and North Beach.
Crews continue preparing the track to resume passenger service, including testing rail signals, and resurfacing and inspecting the track.
The work continues daily, primarily between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., though some nighttime work also may occur prior to the June 7 reopening.
The project team also is finishing placement of large temporary concrete barriers between the track and the inland bluff in Area 3 to create a safe workspace for crews to build an approximately 1,400-foot-long catchment wall – a wall to allow for collection of debris and runoff – in the coming months.
The wall construction schedule is still being determined but is being planned to limit further disruption to passenger rail service.
Passenger rail service through San Clemente was suspended beginning April 28 to allow for crews to reinforce sections of track at immediate risk from landslides and coastal erosion.
The project is an attempt by OCTA, in coordination with Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, to protect the only coastal rail link between San Diego and Orange counties.
The total package of projects is estimated to cost approximately $300 million. The project components consist of 95% sand and 5% armoring. The current phase, in Areas 1 and 2, estimated to cost approximately $10 million.
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