ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Today, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who serves on the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and LOSSAN Board of Directors, released a statement on the news that Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will resume limited passenger rail service in San Clemente tomorrow. OCTA and Metrolink emergency work continues to build a catchment wall at Mariposa Point (Milepost 204.2) to protect the rail right-of-way.
With all 33 steel beams for the foundation of the wall in place as of Monday and Amtrak conducting its own risk analysis, the OCTA, Metrolink and LOSSAN team agree that limited Pacific Surfliner service can safely resume to and from San Diego through San Clemente.
“OCTA and Metrolink emergency crews worked on full steam to build the catchment wall, resulting in construction progressing ahead of schedule. Amtrak’s limited passenger rail service resuming tomorrow marks a step in the right direction for the passengers, local businesses, and stakeholders who rely on the rail corridor,” said Supervisor Foley. “We remain committed to working safely and efficiently to fully resume rail service in the near future.”
Two Pacific Surfliner trains will pass through San Clemente between 7 and 8 a.m., with two more Pacific Surfliner trains scheduled through the area between 6 and 7 p.m. At this time, Metrolink will not resume service and 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.
While the resumption of this morning and evening service will reduce the daily work window for construction, the OCTA team still anticipates completion of the catchment wall later this month. 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. Once the wall construction is complete, full passenger service can safely resume.
For the latest updates and background, visit octa.net/railupdates.
Metrolink and Amtrak will continue to provide passengers with the latest information at metrolinktrains.com/service-update and pacificsurfliner.com/alerts.
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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.
