Los Angeles, California – On Friday, the California Transportation Commission gave $7.2 million to the Orange County Transportation Authority. This money is for a project aimed at fixing a key part of the rail system in Southern California. California Transportation Commission funds come in addition to previous $2 million for cleanup; San Clemente slope continues to be monitored as freight trains resume overnight trips.
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This cash boost from the state comes after OCTA’s boss, Darrell E. Johnson, asked for it earlier in the week. It means the OCTA and Metrolink team can start building a barrier at Mariposa Point in San Clemente. This barrier will stop soil and other stuff from a nearby private land from falling onto the railway track, which happened at the end of January.
The $7.2 million is on top of another $2 million the state had already given for cleaning up and getting ready to build at this place. That earlier money came through when Caltrans said this was an official emergency situation.
With this emergency money now in hand, Metrolink made a deal on Friday with Condon-Johnson & Associates, a building company that has helped OCTA before in similar situations in San Clemente.
While they’re still working out the details of this deal, OCTA, Metrolink, and the LOSSAN Rail Agency, which looks after Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner service, are figuring out when they can start running trains again, but only in a limited way for now. They haven’t decided when yet, as they want to make sure it’s safe for passengers.
At the Mariposa Point spot, after the team cleaned up more soil and stuff that had fallen onto the track, BNSF started running freight trains again at night, but slower than usual. They plan to keep doing this while watching the slope carefully to make sure it’s safe.
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The team is also replacing the plastic covers on the slope to prevent more water from getting in, especially with more rain expected soon. They’re keeping an eye on the slope for any more shifts.
Sadly, damage from storms is becoming more common for California’s transport systems, leading to shutdowns and delays. For example, a part of PCH north of Malibu is closed at night indefinitely because the storm took out parts of the road.
Metrolink is also looking to put up a barrier wall at the site and hopes to start running trains again, but only a few to begin with. They haven’t set a date for this yet.
For the latest updates and background, visit www.octa.net/railupdates.
For Updates on Rail Service: Passengers are asked to check MetrolinkTrains.com and PacificSurfliner.com/Alerts for real-time updates.
How we got here?
On the evening of Wednesday, January 24, a landslide from private land above the city’s Mariposa Trail Pedestrian Bridge damaged the bridge badly and left debris on the railway track, causing the rail line through San Clemente to shut down.
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), which owns the track, teamed up with Metrolink and other contractors to quickly get emergency teams on site. They brought in big machines to clear the debris and even removed two huge parts of the bridge, each weighing 24,000 pounds. OCTA and Metrolink are working hard to get passenger trains running safely again as quickly as they can.
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For the last three years, the coastlines in San Clemente, including areas owned by the city and private individuals, have been crumbling. This has led to the rail line, which has been running smoothly for over 125 years, being closed down multiple times.
