Crews continue to work around the clock to stabilize train tracks along the Orange County coastline, and officials say the plan to finish construction by early June and resume passenger rail service shortly after remains on target.
Emergency repair work continues seven days a week and will continue through Memorial Day weekend as crews work to restore the critical Southern California rail line, which has faced repeated closures in recent years due to bluff failures.
On Friday, officials from the Orange County Transportation Authority said 4,200 tons of rocks, otherwise known as riprap, have been placed alongside the track in the weeks since it was closed in late April.
The riprap is being used to reinforce and secure the shoreline, particularly near Mariposa Point and North Beach in San Clemente, where erosion and landslides have threatened and damaged the rail corridor.
“The riprap is being strategically sorted and placed primarily within the area where riprap previously existed to fortify the track and protect against coastal erosion,” OCTA officials wrote in the latest construction update.
The scope of the project has also been expanded after consultation with the construction team and the California Coastal Commission.
A 530-foot riprap slope has been added to the construction plans, which is not expected to affect the reopening timeline. For additional protection, about 240,000 cubic yards of sand will also be placed on the beach to help stabilize the slope and protect the track.
Some beach access points will remain temporarily closed during the ongoing construction, and beachgoers are being redirected to non-work zones to get around. A pedestrian undercrossing near Mariposa Point has already reopened, officials said.
Earlier this month, the Coastal Commission approved a permit for OCTA to build a 1,400-foot wall on the inland side of part of the track in hopes of preventing future slides. A timeline for construction on that project is yet to be determined, but the California Transportation Commission has awarded $97 million for it.
Construction will continue daily, including weekends, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Passenger rail service through San Clemente, including Metrolink and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, remains suspended. The rail line is the only coastal connection between San Diego and Orange counties.
Metrolink will continue daily service to Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo; weekend service will not extend to San Juan Capistrano. Metrolink service updates can be found here.
Amtrak will run modified Pacific Surfliner service with bus connections between Irvine and Oceanside. Riders can check Amtrak alerts here.
In January 2024, all rail service, both passenger and freight, was suspended for several weeks due to a pedestrian bridge collapsing onto the tracks below in San Clemente.
Orange County officials, including elected officials and members of the OCTA board, have blamed climate change and a lack of preventive action for the frequent landslides and economy-impacting closures.
For ongoing updates and recent actions, visit www.octa.net/RailEmergency.
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