A portion of the Metrolink Pacific Surfliner rail line is undergoing emergency repairs in San Clemente, which could last until Monday, after high tides and rain hit the coast.
The portion under repair is in San Clemente, with the closure running from the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station to the Oceanside stop in San Diego County.
As rainfall from the outskirts of Hurricane Marie hit much of Southern California, high surf battered the coast – especially in San Clemente, where the rail line has been shut down various times in recent years due to coastal erosion. The storm itself didn’t make landfall.
“Tracks between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside will be closed on Sunday, September 6 due to high tides and conditions along the coastal rail corridor,” reads a Metrolink news release.
According to Orange County Transportation Authority and Metrolink, OC line services will only reach the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and anything south of the stop will be suspended, including the Pacific Surfliner between Irvine and Oceanside.
Buses will be used to transport passengers between Irvine and Oceanside, according to Amtrak officials.
The Orange County Transport Agency and Metrolink announced in an Instagram post Sunday morning that they were working to stabilize the line by adding large boulders, known as riprap.
San Clemente and OCTA Struggle With Erosion
This specific portion of track is no stranger to stabilization efforts, though, with OCTA and San Clemente city officials going back and forth for years over options for securing the line.
Because the train line through San Clemente is so close to the disappearing coast, with high tides and surges inching closer to the track – in some areas, the line being only 200 feet away from the water – there are concerns that the track will collapse.
OCTA’s solution to the track damage is adding large boulders to stabilize the area. However, the use of riprap speeds up sand erosion, adding to the city’s concern of the beach eroding away.
[Read: OC Officials Consider Boulders Along Coastal Train, San Clemente Protests]
For years, San Clemente has been grappling with how to save its shrinking coast line, with city officials and residents coming together to look for options to save the sinking city.
Currently, city officials are making headway by establishing funding and permits to recoup the lost land along the coast.
At the same time, residents are rallying for a 1% sales tax to be introduced. The tax was successfully added to the 2026 ballot after gaining over 7,000 signatures of support by registered voters in the city.
The revenue generated will come out to about $15 million and assist in paying for sand placement, beach projects and wildfire prevention.
[Read: San Clemente Residents to Vote on Another Sales Tax for Sand]
While several options have been presented to the city to bring in sand, little funding is available, so progress toward filling in the coast has been stalled.
[Read: Who Should Take the Lead on Saving OC’s Disappearing Beaches?]
Michelle King is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. You can reach her at mcaitlin254@gmail.com.
