Completion of Catchment Wall Allows Passenger Service To Resume in San Clemente

Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
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Courtesy of OCTA

ORANGE COUNTY – Crews finished work on the 200-foot-long catchment wall that will protect the rail right of way in San Clemente. This comes after a landslide caused passenger service to halt in January.

Since January, RT&S has reported on the ongoing response from OCTA and Metrolink regarding the rail line near Mariposa Point. 

Now, OCTA has announced passenger rail service is set to resume on Monday, March 25th, two months after the landslide occurred. The allowance for passenger service to resume comes from the completion of the catchment wall that was built in response. OCTA owns the track and built a 200-foot-long wall to catch falling debris. Service was allowed to resume due to the “strong cooperation between the transportation agencies and the State, including the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA).”

Over the last week, crews have worked on the wall as well as a drainage system and trenching along the rail right of way. In addition, crews worked “with the City of San Clemente to adjust a sewer access point.” Now, OCTA says more tie replacement and track resurfacing will take place this week.

In search of long-term solutions, OCTA and its rail partners say they will work with local, state, and federal stakeholders to protect the rail right of way. Two studies are being conducted, with work already underway for the first one. The Orange County Coastal Rail Resiliency Study, led by OCTA, has started with “listening sessions with stakeholders and the public.”

According to the release, “Metrolink and LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, operator of the Pacific Surfliner, are each planning to resume full service as of Monday morning.” 

GET CAUGHT UP ON THE SAN CLEMENTE LANDSLIDE FROM THE BEGINNING:

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