SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Work to stabilize a slope along the rail line between Los Angeles and San Diego may face new delays, after contractors discovered placement of ground anchors may conflict with earlier efforts to stabilize homes on the hillside above.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that installation of some of the anchors, which are being driven deep into the bedrock of the hillside in San Clemente, must be revised to avoid impacting foundation piles for the homes. Eric Carpenter, spokesman for the Orange County Transportation Authority, told the newspaper in an email that “existing plans for the homes were not precise in detailing the location of the piles. Because of this, it required some changes to how the work would proceed to ensure safety, prevent additional movement in the hillside, and avoid any damage to those existing piles and the homes above.”
What the discovery will mean for the restoration of rail service between Los Angeles and San Diego has not yet been determined. Carpenter said discussions “about when passenger service can safely resume are ongoing.”
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink passenger service through the area has been interrupted since September because of the unstable hillside, with Metrolink halting service to Oceanside while Surfliner service has seen modified schedules and use of a bus bridge around the area. Resumption of rail service has been pushed back several times, most recently targeted to return in March [see “Rainy weather delays effort …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 10, 2023].
Has Amtrak thought
And all the rain hasn’t changed anything?