A new landslide in San Clemente on Wednesday temporarily shut passenger train service by Amtrak and Metrolink from Orange County south to San Diego.
“Due to debris falling on the tracks, train service is temporarily suspended in San Clemente. Passengers are being offered bus connections between Irvine and Oceanside for alternative travel during the closure,” Amtrak said.
The landslide was reported at 4:26 p.m. and service was halted shortly afterward. There was no immediate estimate when trains would resume.
Boulders and other debris fell onto the tracks along the Mariposa Trail Bridge in San Clemente. The affected area is a half mile north of the San Clemente Pier Station.
Metrolink said engineering teams are working with Orange County Transportation Authority and city of San Clemente officials to ensure the railroad right of way is safe for travel.
Landslides have repeatedly closed the coastal rail route to passenger trains, though freight traffic has continued at slower speeds. The last incident occurred in the same general area on June 5, prompting a nearly six-week closure.
“With less than one month into the new year, the railroad tracks in South County are already closed due to a landslide in San Clemente,” said Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley. “Decades of climate change denial leaves Orange County behind in a race between us and Mother Earth.”
The corridor is the second busiest rail route in the United States, and Foley said the region “cannot afford for these disruptive service suspensions to continue on a yearly basis.”
Rep. Mike Levin is scheduled to announce major funding to secure the bluffs and relocate sections of the rail track on Thursday. His staff had invited media to travel from San Diego to Los Angeles to observe the problems along the route, but will hold a press conference in Oceanside instead.
Updated at 10:45 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024