18 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

KABC-TV, ABC-7 in Los Angeles, CA, 2/19/24:

 

 

   Rail service through San Clemente remains halted as hillside continues to move after landslide  

 

 

For some people riding Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train to and from San Diego through Orange County, the journey hasn't always been what they expected.

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

New Pacific Surfliner schedule effective 2/19/24, with the continued suspension in the San Clemente area, is here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 2/20/24

 

California panel awards $7.2M to OCTA to restore rail link

 

The California Transportation Commission has awarded $7.2 million to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to help restore a link in Southern California's rail network. 

 

The state funding enables OCTA and Metrolink to construct a catchment wall at Mariposa Point in San Clemente and advance other mitigation measures to protect track from soil and debris from a privately owned slope that slid onto a passenger-rail line right of way in late January, OCTA officials said in a press release.

 

 

Continue here.  

[CNJRoss]

OCTA news release

 

OCTA Receives $7.2 Million from State for Rail Protection

 

2/16/2024

 

California Transportation Commission funds come in addition to previous $2 million for cleanup; San Clemente slope continues to be monitored as freight trains resume overnight trips

 

ORANGE – The California Transportation Commission (CTC) on Friday awarded $7.2 million to the Orange County Transportation Authority for a construction project to help restore a critical link in Southern California’s rail network.

 

The new funding from the state – in response to a request sent by OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson earlier this week – allows the OCTA and Metrolink project team to move forward on constructing a catchment wall at Mariposa Point in San Clemente, as well as other mitigation to protect the track from soil and debris from a privately owned slope that slid into the rail right of way in late January.

 

The $7.2 million is in addition to a previous award from the state of $2 million for cleanup and pre-construction activities at the site. That money was made available when Caltrans declared an official emergency.

 

With this new emergency allocation, Metrolink on Friday signed a design-build contract with Condon-Johnson & Associates, a construction firm that has worked with OCTA on previous emergency rail protection efforts in San Clemente.

 

As details of the contract are finalized, OCTA, Metrolink and the LOSSAN Rail Agency, which manages Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner service, will work on a timeline for safely resuming limited passenger rail service as soon as possible. That timeline has not been determined at this point. The safety of passengers will continue to guide that decision.

 

Out at the Mariposa Point site (Milepost 204.2), with the project team’s work to remove some additional soil and debris that fell into the rail right of way, BNSF has resumed running freight trains overnight at reduced speed. Those overnight freight trips are expected to continue as the project team closely monitors the slope to ensure safety.

 

The OCTA and Metrolink project team, which has been working to replace the plastic tarps on the site to protect the slope as much as possible from further saturation, will continue to inspect the slope and monitor for any additional slope movement. More rain is expected late in the weekend and into next week.

 

Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly common for California’s transportation infrastructure to suffer storm-related damage, forcing closures and delays. Most recently, indefinite nightly closures were announced for a six-mile stretch of PCH north of Malibu where storm damage sheared off stretches of the roadway.

 

Metrolink continues to work toward awarding a contract to build a barrier wall at the site. As part of that planning, the project team hopes to safely resume limited passenger rail service as soon as possible. That timeline has not yet been determined.

 

For the latest updates and background, visit www.octa.net/railupdates.

 

For Updates on Rail Service: Passengers are asked to  check MetrolinkTrains.com and PacificSurfliner.com/Alerts for real-time updates.

 

Background: The rail line was closed through San Clemente the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 24, when a landslide on private property above the city-owned Mariposa Trail Pedestrian Bridge caused major damage to the bridge and scattered debris onto the track.

 

OCTA, which owns the track, worked with partners at Metrolink and contractors to quickly mobilize emergency crews, who used heavy machinery on the rails to remove debris and haul away two large spans of the bridge, each weighing 24,000 pounds. The OCTA and Metrolink team continues to work to resume safe passenger rail service as soon as possible.

 

Over the past three years, San Clemente’s eroding bluffs – on both city and private property – have repeatedly forced the closure of the rail line which has operated largely uninterrupted for more than 125 years.

 

 

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Railway Track and Structures, 2/28/24

 

Catchment Wall Construction Begins in San Clemente

 

 

 

SAN CLEMENTE – Two large rigs began drilling so steel beams can be placed 30 feet underground to support the catchment wall in San Clemente.

 

OCTA and Metrolink teams and contractor Condon-Johnson and Associates have started construction of a catchment wall along at Mariposa Point. The wall will protect the rail owned by OCTA from continuous sliding soil and debris. The current timeline for a completed wall is mid-March, and regular passenger rail service “may begin as early as late March or early April,” but this schedule may change.  . . . 

 

SNIP  

 

As reported previously, BNSF freight traffic is still halted as there is continued hillside movement which is monitored hourly. OCTA states it is working toward allowing freight trains to operate safely in the area as soon as possible.

 

 

Continue here.  

[CNJRoss]

Railway Track and Structures, 3/14/24

 

OCTA Continues Coastal Rail Resiliency Study; Catchment Wall Wooden Panels Now Up

 

 

ORANGE COUNTY – As OCTA and Metrolink work to address a stretch of the rail line after a landslide in January, it seeks longer-term solutions for protecting the rail right of way.

 

Emergency work is still taking place in San Clemente as OCTA works with Metrolink to protect the rail line near Mariposa Point. OCTA is continuing forward with a study to “find lasting solutions” by assessing areas in need of reinforcement in order to prevent future emergencies. On Monday, March 11th, in an update on the Coastal Rail Resiliency Study, it found sites along the coastal rail line “recommended for monitoring and reinforcement to ensure rail traffic can continue moving without additional interruptions.”

 

 

Continue here.  

Cross-posted:  OCTA long-term plan for stabilizing California coastal rail line

[KevinKorell]

KFI Radio, Los Angeles, CA, 3/23/24:

 

 

    Rail Service Through San Clemente to Resume Monday    

 

 

After a roughly two-month closure caused by rocks and debris that fell on the tracks, Metrolink and Amtrak passenger rail service will resume through San Clemente on Monday.

 

Details

[KevinKorell]

Metrolink website:

 

 

Service to and from Oceanside through San Clemente will resume Monday, March 25

 

Starting Date: 1/24/2024

Ahead of schedule, Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service will resume on Monday, March 25 through San Clemente.

On Wednesday, Jan. 24, soil and debris from the hillside slope along the Mariposa Trail Bridge in San Clemente fell onto the right of way and railroad tracks, resulting in a suspension of all rail movement through the San Clemente area. 

Though limited rail movement has resumed since, on Monday, March 25, Metrolink trains will once again connect to and from San Clemente and Oceanside, while Pacific Surfliner service will be able to operate its full schedule to and from San Diego

Through Sunday, March 24, Metrolink will continue to only operate weekday service as far south as the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station, while weekend Orange County Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains will only operate as far south as San Juan Capistrano.

For more project detail, go to metrolinktrains.com/service-updates.

SERVICE LINES AFFECTED

Inland Empire-Orange County Line

Orange County Line

 

[KevinKorell]

Pacific Surfliner website:

 

 

  Full Service to Resume Through San Clemente   

Update Effective Monday, March 25, 2024 

Full Pacific Surfliner service through San Clemente will resume starting Monday, March 25.  

Following the January 24 track closure, our partners at OCTA and Metrolink worked to construct a 200 ft barrier wall to protect the tracks and passing trains from debris falling from the hillside above. More information on the construction project is available here.  

Starting Monday, March 25:  

• Trains operating to and from San Diego will no longer require a bus connection between Irvine and Oceanside  


• 10 daily round trips will once again operate between Los Angeles and San Diego  

 PDF Timetable – Effective Mar. 25

NOTE:  On Monday, March 25, Train 761 will originate in Los Angeles instead of San Diego as we move equipment in place to resume our full schedule.