2 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

KUSI-TV, Fox-5 in San Diego, CA, 3/2/24:
 

 

     COASTER, Amtrak service temporarily suspended between these areas    

 

 

Planning on taking the COASTER or Amtrak this weekend? Your route may be impacted by a temporary suspension.

 

This is the story.

[KevinKorell]

pacificsurfliner.com   3/6/24:

 

 

 

Partial Service Set to Resume Through San Clemente

 

Update Effective March 6, 2024 

Morning and evening Pacific Surfliner service through San Clemente will resume starting March 6. Passengers traveling between LA, Orange, and San Diego counties can take continuous train service during the mornings and evenings. Southbound trains 562 (morning) and 784 (evening), as well as northbound trains 765 (morning) and 587 (evening), will be fully reinstated without bus connections.    

 

Daytime services will remain paused to accommodate wall installation by construction crews. Bus connections between Irvine and Oceanside will continue to be available for trains 769, 770, 774, 777, 785, and 790 to provide passengers with connections around the closure during the day.   

 

The tracks in San Clemente have been closed to passenger rail service since late January 2024 while emergency construction work is underway. A safety assessment has cleared the way for limited rail service to resume while the construction is being completed. OCTA, the agency leading the construction, estimates that the project will be complete by the end of March/early April 2024. 

 

Schedule Modifications:

 

Beginning March 6, limited train service will be restored between Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties, with no bus connection required for the following trains:

 

Southbound:  

• Train 562: morning train 
• Train 784: evening train 

Northbound: 

• Train 765: morning train 
• Train 587: evening train 

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this service disruption. Construction to protect the track is underway, and regular updates are available on the dedicated webpage for the project. 

 

The following schedule is in place as of Wednesday, March 6 -  click here for a downloadable timetable. A timeline for full service restoration will be shared here as it becomes available.

 

Effective Wednesday, March 6:
Northbound 

• Train 573 is cancelled with no alternate transportation provided.
• Train 587 will operate through San Clemente, with no bus connection required.
• Train 761, which normally operates between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, will originate in Los Angeles with no alternate transportation provided between San Diego and Los Angeles.
• Train 595, which normally operates between San Diego and Los Angeles, will originate at San Juan Capistrano with no alternate transportation provided. Passengers may use Bus 5811 for service to Los Angeles.
• Trains 581 and 591, which normally operate between San Diego and Los Angeles, will originate at San Juan Capistrano with no alternate transportation provided.
• Train 765 will operate through San Clemente, with no bus connection required.
• Train 769, which normally operates between San Diego and Goleta, will originate at San Juan Capistrano with no alternate transportation provided.
• Train 777 will operate as Train 1777 from San Diego to Oceanside, as Bus 3977 from Oceanside to Irvine, and as Train 777 from San Juan Capistrano to San Luis Obispo.
• Train 785 will operate as Train 1785 from San Diego to Oceanside, as Bus 3985 from Oceanside to Irvine, and as Train 785 from San Juan Capistrano to Goleta.

Southbound

• Trains 572 and 586 are cancelled with no alternate transportation provided.
• Train 794, which normally operates between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, will terminate in Los Angeles with no alternate transportation provided.
• Train 562 will operate through San Clemente, with no bus connection required.
• Train 564 will operate as Train 564 from Los Angeles to San Juan Capistrano, as Bus 3564 from Irvine to Oceanside, and as Train 1564 from Oceanside to San Diego.
• Train 580, which normally operates between Los Angeles and San Diego, will terminate at San Juan Capistrano with no alternate transportation provided.
• Train 770, which normally operates between Goleta and San Diego, will terminate at San Juan Capistrano with no alternate transportation provided.
• Train 774 will operate as Train 774 from San Luis Obispo to San Juan Capistrano, as Bus 3974 from Irvine to Oceanside and as Train 1774 from Oceanside to San Diego.
• Train 784 will operate through San Clemente, with no bus connection required.
• Train 790, which normally operates between Goleta and San Diego, will terminate at San Juan Capistrano with no alternate transportation provided.

Please note: The Market Café may not be available on all trains during this time.

 

Travel Tips

• For those utilizing bus connections, reservations are required. Seats are limited, and we recommend you book early. If travel plans change, make adjustments to the reservation in advance of the scheduled departure. This can be done online at Amtrak.com (select “Modify Trip”), by phone at 800-USA-RAIL, or at a staffed Amtrak station. If you have an Amtrak monthly pass or a multi-ride pass, please use Amtrak’s RideReserve system to enter trip details in advance. This will guarantee a space on board the bus you plan to take. Passengers without a reservation may be turned away if the buses become full. 
•  Please visit our bus connections blog post for more information and travel tips. 

[KevinKorell]

Metrolink website update:

 

 

 

San Clemente Track Closure 

 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 – As the Metrolink and OCTA project team continues to build the catchment wall, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will resume limited service to and from San Diego through San Clemente beginning tomorrow. Amtrak has performed a risk assessment determining it is safe to operate passenger rail service. This is a similar step previously taken by BNSF Railway who has been operating freight service through the corridor intermittently since Jan. 30.

 

OCTA, Metrolink and LOSSAN officials all feel it is critical to resume some level of passenger rail service as soon as possible to benefit affected customers. Two Pacific Surfliner trains (northbound Pacific Surfliner 765 and southbound Pacific Surfliner 562) will pass San Clemente between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., while two more Pacific Surfliner trains (northbound Pacific Surfliner 587, and southbound Pacific Surfliner 784) will pass through San Clemente between 6 and 7 p.m.

 

With Pacific Surfliner providing passenger rail service to and from Oceanside, and to limit the number of trains affecting construction daily, 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.

 

On Monday, the last of the 33 steel beams that will serve as the foundation of the catchment wall were installed. Now, the project team is moving soil and debris from the area in preparation for the installation of the 6-foot wooden panels to complete the wall. Also, the project team is installing an expanded drainage and culvert system to allow for water to efficiently flow from the hillside to the ocean.

 

The completion of the wall is now expected to be late-March, followed by approximately a week’s worth of work to restore the track and right of way for complete regularly scheduled service. Metrolink service to and from Oceanside through San Clemente is projected to resume in early April. This timeline may be adjusted if project issues arise.