Inland Empire To OC Train Service Starts Up After Closure

BANNING, CA — All rail service is slated to resume Monday, July 17 after officials announced that tracks in South San Clemente that were threatened by erosion have been treated with a temporary fix.

Starting Monday, July 17, Metrolink weekday and weekend trains will resume travel to and from the Oceanside Station on the Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County lines, a spokesperson reported in a recent news release.

The train service has been halted since early June due to debris and dirt falling on the tracks from an unstable hillside above, according to previous reports.

RELATED: More 'Land Movement' In South OC Halts Train Service

Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains will again be permitted to travel through the coastal area, thanks to emergency construction of a temporary barrier wall that is designed to protect the tracks from debris, transportation officials said.

The board of the Orange County Transportation Authority, which owns the tracks, voted on June 12 to declare an emergency to expedite construction of the barrier.

San Clemente city officials have been working for months to stabilize the hillside above the track near Casa Romantica Culture Center and Gardens, which have also been affected by the sliding hill.

RELATED: Wall To Guard Tracks In South OC After Landslide Halts Train Service

The first mudslide near Casa Romantica happened on April 27. Rail service was shut down, but resumed again on May 27. But another mudslide on June 5 compelled another closure.

The temporary barrier wall is 250 feet long and 12 feet high, with pilings dug 32 feet into the ground, according to transit officials.

Officials noted that the reopening will occur as summer travel season heats up, and days ahead of the Comic-Con Convention in San Diego.

City News Service contributed to this report.