SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — After a roughly two-month closure caused by rocks and debris that fell on the tracks, Metrolink and Amtrak passenger rail service resumed through San Clemente Monday.
Commuters CBS 8 spoke to Monday morning were relieved.
"It's great," said commuter Andy Hofacre. He lives in Orange County and commutes to San Diego for work. "For the first time [in weeks], we were able to put our feet up, get the laptop out, get some work done."
Work on a 200-foot-long retaining wall to protect the tracks from additional falling debris near Mariposa Point wrapped up last week, clearing the way for resumption of passenger rail.
A landslide on private property above the city-owned Mariposa Trail Pedestrian Bridge led to debris on the tracks on Jan. 24, halting all rail service. Some slow-speed freight trains eventually began moving through the affected section at night in recent weeks while shoring operations continued, and Amtrak began offering some limited passenger service on its Pacific Surfliner trains earlier this month.
While the repairs were being made, passengers had to take a bus around the repair work. For example, those heading north out of San Diego had to get on a bus in Oceanside and take it to Irvine.
"When it's shut down it's disastrous," said commuter Don Davis. He lives in Orange County and works in San Diego. "It completely ruins my frame of my mind, 'How am I going to get to work? What time do I have to leave? If it's raining out, it's even worse. It's good that it's back."
The railroad tracks in the San Clemente area endured a pair of extended closures last year due to mudslides and debris. The first occurred in April near the Casa Romantica Culture Center and Gardens, blocking the tracks for a month while repairs were completed. Another mudslide occurred in the same general area on June 5, prompting another rail closure that lasted for nearly six weeks.
Information on train schedules is available at metrolinktrains.com and at pacificsurfliner.com/alerts.
WATCH RELATED: San Clemente to Oceanside rail services suspended due to landslide debris, damage (Jan. 25, 2024)