San Clemente, Calif., cliff is now an emergency; rail service suspended

Freight and passenger rail has been suspended so crews can work to stabilize cliff in San Clemente, Calif.

NCTD

A slight ground shift in San Clemente, Calif., has forced major movement regarding the railroad right-of-way.

The state of California has issued a state of emergency as crews mobilize to reinforce the cliffside that supports passenger and freight rail service. RT&S first reported about the San Clemente trouble last week. The California Transportation Commission approved about $12 million on Oct. 3 for emergency repair work that will include inserting anchors into bedrock to help stabilize ground movement.

In the meantime, train service has been cancelled and will not resume until November. Darrell Johnson, CEO of the Orange County Transportation Authority, said a storm surge last month had accelerated a set of concerns.

Work on the cliff will continue into next year.

Read more articles on track maintenance.