On Jan. 24, falling debris from the hillside along the Mariposa Trail Bridge in San Clemente led to the closure of tracks in this area for the fifth time in three years. Despite collaborative efforts between Metrolink, OCTA and the City of San Clemente to address the issue, hillside movement continues.
In response to a request from OCTA, Caltrans issued an emergency declaration on Feb. 1 that allows OCTA to access up to $10 million in immediate emergency funding toward restoring passenger rail service through San Clemente. The following day, we jointly announced plans to build a catchment wall to protect the tracks and right of way from debris. The decision to build a wall was made in consultation with the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), BNSF Railway and the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, which operates the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service through the area.
At my direction, the Metrolink team is designing and building a wall similar to the work we did last year at Casa Romantica. However, a definitive timeline for resuming rail services remains uncertain. We continue to inform our passengers of schedule changes, with OC and IEOC line trains only running as far south as the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station on weekdays and San Juan Capistrano on weekends. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service has also been affected.
As we continue to face these challenges along the San Clemente coastline, I appreciate the collaborative efforts of our rail partners, the state of California and local officials. We are closely monitoring the situation and working with all parties involved to ensure safe rail travel.