Trains can safely pass over the bluffs in Del Mar at reduced speeds despite a soil washout that took a chunk of land within a few feet of the track, according to the North County Transit District.
The washout was caused by a 3-day rainstorm that moved into the county Wednesday, the NCTD said.
The tracks were deemed safe following reviews and inspections by railroad engineers, but repairs will be needed, according to the NCTD.
The NCTD will close the tracks south of Solana Beach at 6 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30.
COASTER trains will run their regular schedule from the Oceanside Transit Center to the Solana Beach COASTER station, and a bus bridge will be set up to get passengers from Solana Beach to the Santa Fe Depot. Northbound COASTER passengers who board south of Solana beach will be bussed all the way to Oceanside .
To see changes to the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner schedule, click here or call (800) 872-7245.
Regular service will resume for COASTER and Amtrak on Dec. 1.
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In order to repair the washout area, steel plates will be installed adjacent to the bluffs and concrete slurry will be poured in the space where soil once was. Neighbors should expect “significant noise” from construction crews between 6 a.m. and midnight.
“Approximately 1.7 miles of NCTD’s tracks are on the Del Mar Bluffs. On average, the Bluffs will naturally retreat on an average of six inches per year. Engineering studies completed by SANDAG and the City of Del Mar’s Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Plan highlight the need for action to ensure the safe operations of passenger and freight rail service. Each time a bluff failure occurs, NCTD annuls train traffic until inspections are complete verifying that the Bluffs are safe for regular rail operations,” the NCTD said.
