Crews are working to clear the remnants of a landslide that halted rail service through coastal Orange County before another storm system moves into Southern California with additional rain.
The Mariposa Bridge, a pedestrian and bicycle walkway that sits above the railroad tracks in San Clemente, partially collapsed last Wednesday.
While the remnants of the bridge were removed, the collapsed hillside is still affecting train service and still causing concern for those who live nearby.
“It’s a regular conversation every time we walk along [the tracks] now,” San Clemente resident Jessica McHale said, referring to the foundational stability of the coast. “I do hope that they find something more sustainable and long-term to continue to support the structure of this community.”
All Metrolink and Amtrak service between Orange County and San Diego has been suspended until further notice. Southbound trains can only go as far as San Juan Capistrano before passengers must disembark and get on a bus.
“It’s a huge impact to the local economy,” said McHale. “I work in San Diego and can use the train off and on, so it’s disappointing to know that I’m going to be stuck on the 5 [Freeway] with traffic.”
This is the fifth time in three years that rail service in the area has been interrupted due to a landslide, and government officials are urging engineers to come up with a solution, perhaps moving the tracks further inland.
“We want to make sure we are thinking about the next steps, like where we are going to move the rail corridor in this area so that it can continue to be resilient,” said Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-38th District) who represents southern Orange County and northern San Diego County in the California State Senate. “Because we just can’t have this happen…we can’t have [train service] shut down every several weeks or months and think that we are going to have transit that serves people’s needs.”
San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan told KTLA 5’s Annie Rose Ramos that while it is going to rain on Thursday, the risk for a mudslide grows in the following days.
“We do expect more [land] movement…a few days later once the rain is soaked in,” Mayor Duncan said. “So we will be very vigilant in looking for soft spots and problem areas.”
Local officials have contacted the federal government, including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, for assistance. The Department of Transportation is set to put aside as much as $30 million for the affected stretch of railway.