Southern California passenger rail system Metrolink will be suspending service in Orange County in the coming days with potentially dangerous high tides expected to hit the region.
Railroad officials said service will be temporarily suspended on its Orange County line between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station and the train stations in Oceanside, beginning Monday, Oct. 26 through Friday, Oct. 30. Weekend service is currently not expected to be affected.
That closure means that Metrolink trains on the Orange County line will only operate between Los Angeles Union Station and the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station. Metrolink officials said alternative bus transportation will not be provided during the service suspension.
“The temporary service adjustment is intended to minimize the potential for widespread delays and cancellations if coastal conditions disrupt rail operations,” Metrolink officials said. “By originating and terminating Orange County Line trains at Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo, Metrolink can maintain a more predictable schedule for customers across the system.”
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The commuter railroad says the suspension of service will also reduce congestion across the busy LOSSAN corridor, which is also used by the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and freight companies. Metrolink says the suspension should also reduce competition in the corridor and prevent any weather-related delays for its railroad partners.
This is the only portion of Metrolink’s 545-mile, six-county rail system affected by incoming storms.
Why is Metrolink suspending service in Orange County?
This is not the first time Metrolink, or any railroad for that matter, has suspended service in coastal Orange County during inclement weather.
The historic tracks that the trains use run parallel to the Pacific Ocean and are located only a few feet from the water in some locations. The beaches on one side of the tracks are prone to being washed out, while the steep hills on the other side are prone to slides when heavy rain arrives.
In early 2024, all train service was suspended after cliff sides in San Clemente gave way and sent dirt and boulders onto the tracks below, taking a pedestrian bridge with it. Months earlier, a local emergency was declared after the land beneath the Casa Romantica cultural center began to slide out from underneath the historic property and buried the tracks at the base of the hill.
The Orange County Transportation Authority and its partners in the LOSSAN Corridor have spent tens of millions of dollars in recent years to repair and reinforce the hills, beaches and tracks in hopes of mitigating future disasters.
But the tracks themselves will always be vulnerable given their proximity to the coastline. This has led to serious contemplation amongst local leaders to decide if the best and most realistic measure to prevent future damage to the tracks is to relocate them entirely.
No formal decision has been made regarding the future of the tracks in Southern Orange County, but relocation would be a massive undertaking that would likely cost hundreds of millions (if not billions) of dollars.
In the meantime, Metrolink and other railroad partners will instead continue to monitor weather conditions and hope that the cheaper preventative measures will allow for continued stability in the nation’s second-busiest rail corridor.
One thing is for sure: this won’t be the last time passenger rail service is suspended along the O.C. coastline.
Metrolink encourages riders affected by this latest service suspension to check its website for the latest service information. Pacific Surfliner riders should do the same, even though Amtrak is planning to run trains through the area.
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