SAN CLEMENTE — The Orange County Transportation Authority is one step closer to resuming passenger rail service through San Clemente after receiving $7.2 million from the state to construct a retaining wall along the tracks.
The California Transportation Commission allocated the funds on Feb. 16, allowing OCTA and Metrolink to move forward with constructing a wall at Mariposa Point, where a landslide occurred on Jan. 24.
Passenger service along the LOSSAN (Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo-San Diego) rail corridor has been shuttered between Orange and San Diego counties for just under a month due to the landslide.
Metrolink has been finalizing the details of a design-build contract with Condon-Johnson and Associates, a firm that previously worked on rail protection efforts in San Clemente.
OCTA said the various agencies are working on a timeline for safely resuming passenger rail service but that no reopening date has been identified at this point.
“The safety of passengers will continue to guide that decision,” OCTA said.
Over the past few weeks, crews have laid down tarps to protect the slope from rain and prevent further sediment movement toward the tracks. BNSF freight trains have been permitted to resume travel along the corridor at decreased speeds.
This is the fifth rail closure in San Clemente in the past two years. Last week, state Sen. Catherine Blakespear introduced legislation that would strengthen the state’s role in addressing issues related to the LOSSAN corridor.
Periodic updates about the San Clemente rail closure are available online at octa.net/RailUpdates.
