Metrolink and Amtrak rail service will be restored next week after months of stabilizing repairs due to shifting ground beneath a stretch of coastal track in Southern California, transit officials said Monday.
Service between Orange and San Diego counties halted Sept. 30 after a storm surge caused waves to upend lanes near the coastal community of San Clemente.
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) said commuter rail services Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink will resume service beginning April 17.
At least one person was injured after an SUV collided with the transiting Metrolink in the Covina area on Friday. The incident was reported around 10:20 a.m. when the train, which was carrying 100 passengers, slammed into a car between Barranca Avenue and Front Street.
The restoration will reconnect Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and Orange County with San Diego County.
The tracks were originally scheduled to reopen in February, the Orange County Registry reported.
“This emergency work has posed an unprecedented challenge, especially with this season’s heavy rains, and we are pleased to report that passenger service can safely resume on this key stretch of the California Railroad from South,” OCTA President Gene Hernández said in a statement.
In 2021, the area faced a similar problem and the tracks were closed for two weeks. Workers brought in additional rocks to help shore up the eroded shoreline.
Amtrak provided bus service to cover the route during the most recent closure. Metrolink trains were not available south of Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo Metrolink station during the suspension.