ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Today, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who serves as a Director of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), announced that Metrolink and Amtrak suspended passenger rail service between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside stations due to boulders and debris falling onto the tracks as a result of a landslide damaging the Mariposa pedestrian and bike bridge in San Clemente.
“With less than one month into the new year, the railroad tracks in South County are already closed due to a landslide in San Clemente,” said Supervisor Foley. “Decades of climate change denial leaves Orange County behind in a race between us and Mother Earth. To protect our local economy and way of life, we cannot afford for these disruptive service suspensions to continue on a yearly basis. I remain committed to working with our partners to clean up and monitor this situation, but more importantly, find solutions for rail stability.”
All passenger rail service has been suspended as of late this afternoon between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Station and Oceanside for Metrolink to conduct emergency maintenance work in San Clemente. At this time, no timeline has been determined for the emergency work.
OCTA began working with Metrolink and the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner to notify passengers and the public of the closure. Metrolink and Amtrak will continue to provide passengers with the latest information at metrolinktrains.com/service-update and pacificsurfliner.com/alerts.
The Mariposa bridge, just north of the San Clemente Pier, is owned by the City of San Clemente (City). The bridge is within OCTA-owned rail right-of-way, which is leased to the City for the coastal trail. The city closed off access to the bridge two weeks ago because of the landslide.
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Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 to represent the newly established District 5, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, a large portion of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, as well as the unincorporated areas of Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel. This is her second term on the Board of Supervisors, where she previously served District 2.
Supervisor Foley’s Board appointments include the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), OCFA Legislation & Public Affairs Committee Chair, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), OCTA Legislative and Communications Committee Vice Chair, Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), TCA Joint Environmental Committee, Coastal Greenbelt Authority, Newport Bay and South Orange County Watershed Executive Committees, Ocean Institute, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Community Engagement Panel, Spent Fuel Solutions Coalition Co-Chair, Orange County Housing Finance Trust Chair, and the Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council.
