Amtrak Surfliner, Metrolink trains to resume service June 7 in San Clemente

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink trains will resume service on June 7 following the planned completion of construction of the initial phase of emergency efforts to reinforce the most vulnerable areas along the rail line in San Clemente, California.

Led by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in partnership with Metrolink, the construction has continued daily since the work began in late April, allowing passenger service to open slightly ahead of the initial schedule, OCTA officials said in a press release.

Crews finished placing 5,900 tons of riprap throughout the project areas to protect the track against coastal erosion. About 240,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed on the beach in areas between Mariposa Point and North Beach.

Crews continue preparing the track to safely resume passenger service, including demobilizing equipment, clearing construction staging areas, testing rail signals and resurfacing and inspecting the track, OCTA officials said.

Also, large temporary concrete barriers are being installed between the track and the inland bluff to create a safe workspace for crews to build a 1,400-foot-long catchment wall in the coming months.

The wall construction schedule is still being determined but is anticipated to occur mostly behind those barriers to limit further disruption to passenger-rail service, according to OCTA.

Passenger-rail service through San Clemente was suspended April 28 to allow crews to reinforce sections of track at immediate risk from landslides and coastal erosion.