Powerful surf generated by Hurricane Marie battered Southern California’s coastal rail corridor Sunday, prompting emergency repairs along one of the region’s most scenic train routes.
In San Clemente, a section of the Metrolink and Pacific Surfliner route is being repaired, leading to service suspensions across portions of Orange County through Labor Day Monday.
“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,” Metrolink said in an alert.
“The closure is necessary to ensure the safety of passengers and crews and allow emergency work to be performed along the rail corridor. Please check metrolinktrains.com for updates,” the agency added.
Amtrak said buses will be used to move passengers around the temporary closure while rail service is disrupted.
Metrolink and Amtrak both operate on the same stretch of track through San Clemente.
The rail impacts come after Southern California endured a late-August heatwave described as “comparable to the Amazon rainforest,” followed by heavy rain from Hurricane Marie on Sunday. A Coastal Flood Advisory was also issued and is set to remain in effect until Tuesday night.
According to the Orange County Transportation Agency and Metrolink, crews are “placing large boulders, or riprap, to help stabilize the track,” with additional emergency repairs possible as conditions change in the field.
This is not the first time the coastal stretch in San Clemente had to be closed down.
Over the past few years, the San Clemente tracks underwent multiple emergency repair projects due to coastal erosion, landslides, and bad weather. In 2024, a major hillside collapse saw debris fall over the tracks resulting in the railroad’s closure.
