Sensors and a camera installed over the weekend detected additional, accelerated movement Monday in a landside that threatens the railroad at San Clemente, as heavy rain continued to fall on the unstable slope.
“The track structure remains stable,” states a notice posted late Monday on the Orange County Transportation Authority’s website. “BNSF plans to continue running freight trains at reduced speeds during overnight hours. Passenger service remains stopped.”
All rail service between San Diego and Orange counties ceased on Jan. 24 after the landslide sent debris and parts of the Mariposa Pedestrian Bridge onto the railroad tracks. After some initial repairs, freight service resumed at slow speeds between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. the next weekend and has continued at nights since then.
Two large sections of the damaged bridge were removed, rocks and a drainage culvert were added to the slope, and the hillside was graded and covered with plastic tarps. OCTA and Metrolink officials said Friday they plan to build a barrier wall to protect the tracks while repairs are finished on the landslide above the tracks.
Construction on the wall will not begin until after the storms pass and the work site is deemed safe, officials said Monday. The goal remains to be able to safely restore at least limited passenger rail service as soon as possible.
Last week, Caltrans declared the Mariposa slide to be an official emergency, clearing the way for up to $10 million in state emergency funding for repairs. The California Transportation Commission is expected to authorize an emergency request by OCTA for $2 million to support the debris removal and other pre-construction services.
The San Clemente area received more than 3 inches of rain from Sunday through 8 p.m. Monday, with more expected Monday night and Tuesday.
Crews will remain on site throughout the storm to monitor and inspect the slope for movement and make adjustments to tarps and drainage as needed, according to the website.
North County Transit District’s Coaster trains between Oceanside and San Diego are not affected.
Metrolink trains, which normally go as far south as Oceanside, are only operating as far south as the Laguna Niguel-Mission Viejo station during the suspension.
Some Amtrak trains offer a bus link between Oceanside and Irvine. The coastal rail line is San Diego’s only railroad connection to the rest of the United States.
