OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Cliff erosion in Orange County is putting a halt to train service in San Diego County for Metrolink and Amtrak for over two weeks.
"Some movement of the track has been measured, and it is right next to the sea, so it is important for us to go in and remediate that right away," said Metrolink spokesman Paul Gonzales.
Gonzales says this service disruption from Mission Viejo all the way down to Oceanside comes at time when business for the railroad was just starting to pick up.
"During the pandemic, when so much of our business was lost, we did see a very strong performance in our weekend tourism business, especially down into South Orange County and into Oceanside, so the people who would like to enjoy going into North San Diego County won’t have that option for the next couple of weeks," Gonzales says.
On the Amtrak website, it states, "No Pacific Surfliner trains will operate between Irvine and Oceanside stations. Bus connections will be provided between Irvine and Oceanside, with reduced train service resuming between Oceanside and San Diego."
Buses will not be provided for Metrolink riders. This time is similar to November and December in 2019 when heavy rains eroded a section of the Del Mar Bluffs impacting the Coaster train, which is part of the North County Transit District.
Metrolink's goal is to resume service by Oct. 4 unless the work is completed earlier than expected.
The service suspension will affect trains on the Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County lines.
Metrolink trains will operate as far south as the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station during the suspension.
There will be no bus service to connect to the Oceanside, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano stations provided by Metrolink.
The track work is intended to stabilize the right-of-way in the San Clemente area and ensure the safety of train operations, Gonzales said.
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