Rail service suspended due to another landslide near tracks
By Gina Yarbrough
San Clemente, CA–Rail service south of Orange County was suspended Monday morning after debris fell from a slope north of the San Clemente Pier.
The location of the closure is near San Clemente’s Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. The same slope caused a temporary disruption of Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner rail service in May.
The tracks will reopen once the debris has been cleared, and it is determined safe to operate trains through the area. There is no immediate timeline for the resumption of service.
“We are working with partner agencies to secure buses to transport passengers around the closure,” Amtrak said in a news release.
All remaining train services to and from Oceanside operated as far south as the Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo Station. Passengers were provided Uber vouchers of up to $50 to reach their final destination.
Metrolink’s Orange County Line trains will operate as scheduled between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station and Los Angeles Union Station, with no alternate transportation to or from San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente or Oceanside. The Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains will operate as scheduled between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and San Bernardino, with no alternate transportation to or from San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente or Oceanside.
Rail service was halted on April 27 when the slope behind the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens began to slide, prompting emergency work to stabilize the hillside.
Crews completed the work on the hillside, and rail service reopened on Memorial Day weekend.
For more detailed service information, passengers can call or text 800-371-5465 (LINK).
Real-time updates are also available on the @PacSurfliners Twitter account. Reservations can be updated online at Amtrak.com.
