OCTA continues to work with Metrolink to stabilize the hillside and safely restore passenger rail service as quickly as possible
The OCTA and Metrolink construction and project team continued to work on the hillside above the right of way near the Mariposa Pedestrian Bridge, owned by the city of San Clemente.
The hillside is continuing to move but it has slowed significantly. There is still no timetable for passenger rail service to resume.
On Tuesday, the project team placed additional pipes and ballast to integrate with the existing culvert system to further improve water drainage from the hillside.
The team is monitoring drainage and groundwater flow, especially because the topography of the area changed as a result of the landslide on private property.
In addition to continuing grading and excavation, work was performed to reestablish a culvert inlet on the inland side of the track that had been covered by landslide debris. To keep the culvert functioning, approximately 30 tons of riprap was placed to ensure proper water drainage.
With these steps, BNSF will once again be allowed to operate freight trains through the area at 10 mph between 9 p.m. tonight (Tuesday) and 3 a.m. Wednesday. Inspections of the track and a confirmation that it is safe to proceed will occur before and after each freight train passes.
In preparation for impending heavy rain, a portion of the slope has been covered with plastic to minimize further saturation of the hillside. On Wednesday, it is expected the private property owner’s contractor will also place plastic on the soil above the Metrolink/OCTA work area. The project team will help facilitate and integrate those efforts.
For Updates on Rail Service: Passengers are asked to check MetrolinkTrains.com and PacificSurfliner.com/Alerts for real-time updates.
Background: The rail line was closed through San Clemente the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 24, when a landslide on private property above the city-owned Mariposa Trail Pedestrian Bridge caused major damage to the bridge and scattered debris onto the track.
OCTA, which owns the track, worked with partners at Metrolink and contractors to quickly mobilize emergency crews, who used heavy machinery on the rails to remove debris and haul away two large spans of the bridge, each weighing 24,000 pounds.
Over the past three years, San Clemente’s eroding bluffs – on both city and private property – have repeatedly forced the closure of the rail line which has operated largely uninterrupted for more than 125 years.
