This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
10/5/2022
The Orange County Transportation Authority's board met this week to declare an emergency need for railroad track stabilization along a rail line in San Clemente, California, after the tracks were discovered to be unstable.
Due to coastline erosion, the hillside next to the tracks is gradually sliding, threatening the safety of rail travel in the area. OCTA owns that portion of track, which is home to Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner route as well as Metrolink trains. Both rail services were suspended Sept. 30.
OCTA will “take the quick and necessary actions needed to secure a contractor and move forward with work to stabilize [the tracks],” OCTA officials said in a press release.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) also declared a state transportation emergency regarding the unstable tracks. The California Transportation Commission has granted $6 million in emergency funds for track stabilization, OCTA officials said.
The track work will involve driving large metal anchors into about 700 feet of the slope adjacent to the tracks to prevent it from pushing the track further toward the coast. Ground anchors are typically effective in preventing soil movement, OCTA officials said.
A timeline for the repairs is not yet finalized, but vegetation clearing and staging for the emergency work is slated to begin this week. Officials expect the entire stabilization project to take 30 to 45 days to complete.
OCTA and other California state and transit agencies are considering long-term options for protecting the rail line from further damage, OCTA officials said.
BNSF Railway Co. operates freight in the region and is helping to deliver stabilization materials to the site.