BNSF freight trains began operating at reduced speed past the latest landslide in San Clemente on Tuesday evening, but the vital rail line remains closed to passenger trains.
The Orange County Transportation Authority said crews have removed sections of a damaged pedestrian bridge, repaired drainage culverts, dumped 30 tons of riprap, and covered a portion of the slope with plastic.
“With these steps, BNSF will once again be allowed to operate freight trains through the area at 10 mph,” the agency said. “Inspections of the track and a confirmation that it is safe to proceed will occur before and after each freight train passes.”
But the agency said the hillside is continuing to move, so there is no timetable yet for passenger rail service to resume.
The landslide near the Mariposa Pedestrian Bridge north of the San Clemente Pier last Wednesday afternoon forced cancellation of both Amtrak and Metrolink trains, with buses temporarily being used in some cases
Over the past three years, San Clemente’s eroding bluffs have repeatedly forced the closure of the rail line which has operated largely uninterrupted for more than 125 years and is especially vital to San Diego’s military installations.