OCTA and Metrolink Will Construct Barrier Wall in San Clemente
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
SAN CLEMENTE – To prevent debris from falling on the track, crews will construct a barrier wall along the rail line in Orange County.
RT&S continues to report on the San Clemente landslide that occurred at the end of January. On February 2nd, OCTA released a statement that, along with Metrolink, it will construct a barrier wall to protect from falling debris. The statement comes one day after the state declared an emergency declaration to allow OCTA to access necessary funds to protect the track.
OCTA states that the path forward “could include restoring limited passenger rail service during construction of the wall, but no timeline for letting passenger trains run again has been determined at this point.” However, BNSF will continue to operate freight service overnight at speeds of 10mph.
OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson said, “I’m tremendously appreciative to all of our partnering rail agencies and, of course, to the state, for the partnership and working together to deal with the emergency and pursue a solution to restore service. . . We all know how vital this rail line is for Orange County and for the region.”
Additionally, Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle said “As we have faced these challenges along the San Clemente coastline, I appreciate the collaborative efforts of Metrolink, OCTA, BNSF, LOSSAN, the State of California, and local officials. . . The hard work and expertise of the project team is truly astounding to ensure safe rail travel.”
As of reporting, the area and private slope have been covered with plastic tarps, and “drainage improvements have been made to try to prevent further soil movement, especially with more heavy rain expected.”
