OC-San Diego train service halts after landslide and coastal erosion

A state of emergency was declared late September due to a landslide and coastal erosion that has halted the Orange County-San Diego train service. Photos by DANIEL PEARSON, staff photographer

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink trains halted Sept. 30 due to Tropical Storm Kay blocking the track. This has suspended these trains from providing service to San Diego

This route is one of the region's most popular and traveled courses for trains. Therefore, this halt has had a significant effect on commuters and freight trains.

The project is projected to cost around $12 million to help clear the tracks and to stabilize the hillside to prevent any future damage from taking place. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is working with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) to resolve the issue.

Darrell Johnson, the chief executive officer of the Orange County Transportation Authority, shared in a memorandum why it was necessary to act quickly regarding this disruption. 

People traveling from Orange County to San Diego by train have had the option to take a connection of buses down the coast due to the halting of Amtrak services.

“OCTA has been advised by its geotechnical engineering consultant that immediate action must be taken to prevent the further slipping of the slope which would result in pushing the track into the ocean,” Johnson said. “OCTA, in cooperation with SCRRA, is proposing to procure a specialized contractor with expertise in geotechnical slope stability design and construction, to stabilize the slope and stop the movement of the railroad track.”

However, until then, this pause in service affects many Chapman students that rely on the Orange County-San Diego track for various uses. 

Baylee Crummett, a junior health science major at Chapman, was affected by the train stopping.

“My best friend lives in San Diego, and I was planning on visiting her over the weekend and taking the train to save gas,” Crummett said. “All the trains to San Diego are canceled, and now I am planning on driving there instead.”

Sophomore film production major Aliana Nuño also spoke with The Panther on how the halting of the train service is affecting her.

The lowered train services have affected her even when traveling north of Orange County. She said that the train she usually takes is no longer running, but there still are other options left for her to travel to Los Angeles County by train.

“I have two jobs, one in Orange and one in Oxnard, and sometimes I rely on the train to get to and from Oxnard,” Nuño said. “When it closed, I had to think about driving the distance or finding another train.”

Mia Garofalo is in her first year at Chapman as a creative writing major. The halting of train services has affected some of her upcoming plans.

“One of my friends was supposed to come up to visit next weekend but has no other way to travel other than the train,” Garofalo said.

People who take the train from Orange County to San Diego have had the option to take a series of buses down the coast while the train is unavailable. It is projected to take 30 to 45 days to clear the track. 

The train is not expected to start operating again until mid-December.