Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service to resume through south Orange County

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner resumed limited passenger service through San Clemente March 6 as work continues to build a catchment wall at Mariposa Point to protect the rail right of way, according to the OCTA.

With all 33 steel beams for the foundation of the wall in place and Amtrak conducting its own risk analysis, the OCTA, Metrolink and LOSSAN team agreed that limited Pacific Surfliner service can safely resume to and from San Diego through San Clemente.  

While the resumption of partial morning and evening service will reduce the daily work window for construction, the team still anticipates being able to complete the catchment wall later this month. Once the wall construction is complete, full passenger service is expected to resume. 

With Pacific Surfliner providing passenger rail service to and from Oceanside, and to limit the number of trains affecting construction daily, Metrolink will not resume service through the area right now. Metrolink will continue to only operate weekday service as far south as the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station, while weekend Orange County Line and Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains will only operate as far south as San Juan Capistrano. 

Pacific Surfliner provides important connectivity to San Diego and other rail destinations nationwide. BNSF has been operating freight trains through the area overnight intermittently since January 30. 

The construction team, led by OCTA and Metrolink, continues to make progress on the catchment wall. Even with additional rain expected later this week, the team plans to continue to work on drainage, excavation and installing the wooden panels between the steel beams that will create the catchment wall.

For the latest updates and background, click here.