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3/14/2023
The Orange County Transportation Authority yesterday announced a request for proposals for the South Coast Rail Infrastructure Feasibility Study and Alternative Concepts Analysis, which will guide efforts to prevent track destabilization in San Clemente, California.
Seven hundred feet of track in San Clemente along the coast is undergoing emergency work after the rail line there was found to have slid as much as 28 inches between September 2021 and September 2022. Begun in November 2022, the work calls for the installation of steel anchors in the slope next to the track.
Passenger and freight trains were suspended from operating in the area from September 2022 to February of this year. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink and BNSF Railway Co. operate in the area.
The two-year, $2 million study will assess existing and future risks and identify challenges to the maintenance and operations of rail service along the coastal rail line, OCTA officials said in a press release. The study will involve key stakeholders and technical experts who will work with local, state and federal partners.
The study is just the first step in examining short- and medium-term solutions to protect the rail line. A separate second-phase study — estimated to cost $5 million — will look at long-term options.
Emergency work on the affected tracks continues as crews install the remaining ground anchors and tie-backs to secure the hillside next to the tracks. The tracks have stopped sliding since the first row of anchors were installed in January, OCTA officials said.