Monster swells from Hurricane Marie forced emergency repairs on Southern California’s scenic railroad route on Sunday.
A portion of the Metrolink Pacific Surfliner railroad in San Clemente is undergoing repairs, forcing service suspensions across parts of Orange County through Labor Day Monday.
“Tracks between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside will be closed on Sunday, September 6 due to high tides and conditions along the coastal rail corridor,” said Metrolink in an alert.
“The closure is necessary to ensure the safety of passengers and crews and allow emergency work to be performed along the rail corridor. Please check metrolinktrains.com for updates,” the alert also stated.
Due to the temporary closure, buses will be used to transport passengers according to Amtrak.
Both the Metrolink and Amtrak run on the exact same track in San Clemente.
After a brutal heatwave that was “comparable to the Amazon rainforest”in the last week of August, heavy rainfall from Hurricane Marie hit Southern California on Sunday. A Coastal Flood Advisory that will remain in effect until Tuesday night was also issued.
Crews are currently “placing large boulders, or riprap, to help stabilize the track” and additional emergency repairs may be underway based on changing field conditions, according to the Orange County Transport Agency and Metrolink.
This is not the first time the coastal stretch in San Clemente had to be closed down.
Over the past few years, the San Clemente tracks underwent multiple emergency repair projects due to coastal erosion, landslides, and bad weather. In 2024, a major hillside collapse saw debris fall over the tracks resulting in the railroad’s closure.
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