Soil and debris from privately-owned hillside moved into rail right of way near Mariposa Point but track remains stable, BNSF will resume overnight freight trains at 10 mph
ORANGE – Even as several days of heavy rain began to let up Wednesday, soil and debris from the saturated slope in San Clemente continued to inch toward the track, pushing into the rail right of way near Mariposa Point (Milepost 204.2).
While the movement of the slope didn’t accelerate at the rapid rate initially projected the previous night, it did reach into the right of way near the track on Wednesday. The track itself remains stable.
BNSF is aware of the ongoing movement of the soil from the private-property hillside. But with confirmation of an operating rail, BNSF was scheduled to move freight through the area overnight again. Inspections of the track and confirmation that it is safe to proceed will occur before and after each freight train passes.
The OCTA and Metrolink team will continue to assess movement of the slope and inspect the track. The team also plans to remove the plastic tarps damaged by the rain and wind to get a better look at the condition of the slope and prepare for additional rain later this week.
While the emergency work proceeds, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) finalized authorization of OCTA’s $2 million request for debris removal and other pre-construction services, which the team will utilize to continue cleanup once the storms pass.
OCTA and Metrolink also continue to pursue the option of building a barrier wall to protect the track and work toward determining when at least limited passenger service can safely resume through San Clemente.
For additional 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.
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. The OCTA and Metrolink team continues to work to resume safe passenger rail service as soon as possible.
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.
