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Service Updates

San Clemente Track Closure

Friday, May 23, 2025 – Work will continue daily through the Memorial Day weekend, including Monday, on emergency efforts to reinforce the most vulnerable areas along the rail line in San Clemente. Metrolink and Pacific Surfliner passenger rail service continues to be temporarily halted through the area.   

Work is continuing so that the rail line can be reopened to passenger service as soon as possible.  

This week, crews continued to strategically place large boulders, also known as riprap. Since the work began in late April, approximately 5,400 tons of riprap has been placed next to the track. 

The ongoing work, which will continue daily between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., will also include temporarily placing large concrete barriers between the track and the inland bluff to create a safe workspace for crews.  

The California Coastal Commission earlier this month granted the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), which owns the rail right of way, a permit to build an approximately 1,400-foot-long catchment wall. The schedule to construct that wall is still being determined.   

      

 

Thursday, May 8, 2025 – As crews continue to push ahead on emergency efforts to reinforce the most vulnerable areas along the San Clemente rail line, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) received an important additional approval from the California Coastal Commission on Wednesday.   

The commission unanimously approved a request for a Coastal Development Permit to construct a catchment wall at Mariposa Point and restore the pedestrian trail. The 1,400-foot-long catchment wall will help protect the rail line from sliding debris from the privately owned hillside above the track. This project will begin later this year.  

This week, Metrolink crews removed the remaining spans of the damaged Mariposa Point pedestrian bridge, and continued strategically placing and repairing existing large boulders, known as riprap. 

So far, approximately 2,200 tons of riprap have been placed next to the track. The rocks are being strategically sorted and placed primarily within the area where riprap previously existed to fortify the track and protect against coastal erosion.  

Approximately 7,700 tons of riprap will be placed before passenger rail service will resume. Passenger rail service is expected to remain suspended until early June. 

      

 

Thursday, May 1, 2025 – The project team made significant progress this week in the ongoing emergency work to stabilize the coastal rail line in San Clemente, which is scheduled to remain closed to passenger rail service for approximately five more weeks. 

The bulk of this week’s work consisted of removing the remaining spans of the city’s damaged Mariposa Point pedestrian bridge. Each steel span was approximately 80 feet long and weighed 20,000 pounds. 

Also, excavators on both the beach and inland side of the track began repairing and reinforcing damaged riprap. The rocks are being strategically sorted and placed. At the same time, the Orange County Transportation Authority, which is leading the project, is working to source 240,000 cubic yards of sand as part of the project that will be placed in the area.  

OCTA submitted an emergency Coastal Development Permit application to the Coastal Commission that was partially approved in April. The total package of projects, estimated at approximately $300 million, includes approximately 95% sand and 5% armoring. 

The current work, estimated to cost approximately $10 million, is moving forward under emergency authorization from the California Coastal Commission. 

      

 

Friday, April 25, 2025 – Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passenger rail service through San Clemente will be suspended beginning Monday, April 28, to allow for crews to safely conduct emergency construction aimed at stabilizing sections of track at immediate risk from landslides and coastal erosion.

Passenger rail service is expected to be suspended for approximately six weeks, while crews work to repair and reinforce the most vulnerable segments of the track. The closure affects both Metrolink’s Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County lines.

  • Metrolink Orange County Line & Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains will originate & terminate at the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station throughout the track closure.
    • Metrolink trains will NOT operate to San Juan Capistrano on the weekends
    • There will be no alternate bus transportation during the service suspension
    • Metrolink tickets and passes through the Rail2Rail® program are not valid on Pacific Surfliner replacement bus service during this service suspension.

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will continue to operate modified service between San Luis Obispo and San Juan Capistrano, as well as between Oceanside and Downtown San Diego. Bus connections will be provided between Irvine and Oceanside. Customers should go to pacificsurfliner.com/alerts for the latest schedule information and updates.

BNSF Railway will continue to operate through the corridor at night during the passenger rail service suspension.

For details regarding the OCTA Coastal Rail Emergency Projects, please click here.