Southern California Coastal Rail Corridor Spared From Tropical Storm Hilary Damage

COASTER commuter train on the LOSSAN corridor

LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency

LOS ANGELES – While Tropical Storm Hilary's heavy rains and winds lashed the southern California coast, the rail system was spared from damage according to news reports from the region.

Heavy rains and flooding brought significant damage to some homes and automobiles, along with a huge mess for the residents of the area. Our hearts go out to those who suffered any damage or life disruption from this weather event. The rail system known as the LOSSAN corridor, however, which runs along the along the coast, seems to have been spared from any significant significant damage.

According to Eric Carpenter, a spokesperson for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) who spoke with RT&S, said “the LOSSAN rail line appeared to fare well during the recent storm. I can only speak definitively for the Orange County portion and there were no reports of damage to the rail line. Some agencies along the route made adjustments in train schedules in preparation for the storm but there were no immediate major effects from the rain and winds.” 

“There were also additional inspections up north on Sunday because of the earthquake [a 5.1 magnitude quake] near Ojai but no closures,” Carpenter added. The New York Times reported that in addition to the quake [the epicenter of which was near Ojai, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles] and the heavy rain, firefighters on California’s northern border with Oregon were dealing with a blaze that grew by 2,000 acres during the night. While fire did not impact the rail system, it added to the stress state officials and residents had to deal with this weekend.