AGENCY WANTS TO STUDY TRACK RELOCATION

Coastal section of rail in Orange County has been threatened by landslide

Orange County Transportation Authority officials said Monday that they need $7 million to study possible solutions, including realignment, to protect the 7 miles of endangered coastal railroad tracks from Dana Point to the border of San Diego and Orange counties.

Weekday passenger service has been suspended between the two counties since late September, when new movement was discovered in a recurring 700-foot-wide landslide along the beach at San Clemente. Weekend Amtrak service was restored Feb. 4, but stabilization work remains under way on weekdays.

The OCTA proposal includes $2 million for the first phase of studies to protect the tracks in place with measures such as sand replenishment and retention. A second phase of studies would require $5 million for a long-term look at potentially relocating the tracks inland, probably along or underneath Interstate 5, which would require the cooperation of local, regional, state and federal agencies and would cost unknown billions of dollars.

“There is a clear need to develop a phased approach to look at some solutions,” said Kurt

Brotcke, director of strategic planning for the agency.

Sand replenishment is used widely to slow coastal erosion and protect structures near the beach.

“This is a major concern to the communities along the coastal rail section,” Brotcke said. “The loss of sand has been a major issue contributing to bluff erosion.

“Experts have told us that the issues are likely to get worse in the future, based on projections of sea level rise by state and federal agencies, as well as the increasing severity of storm events,” he said. “This is something we need to pay attention to along this coastal rail section.”

The second phase of studies would focus on the feasibility of re

locating the 7 miles of track inland, he said.

State and federal officials considered the relocation between 2002 and 2009, but that effort was suspended with little progress, Brotcke said.

At the time, the proposal was part of the ongoing efforts to double-track the rail route between Los Angeles and San Diego. The 7 miles of track on the coast of southern Orange County, like a 1.7-mile stretch on the bluffs in Del Mar, has no room to add a second set of tracks. The single-track sections create bottlenecks that restrict train traffic.

OCTA directors said Monday that they support both phases of the studies, though some questioned the need for the first phase.

“It seems like we already know what the short-term issues are, so can we sort of accelerate the process?” asked Director Patrick Harper.

Brotcke replied that the two phases are “very different studies,” but both are needed and they could be done concurrently or with some overlap. The first study can be completed in two years and will help lay the foundation for the second, which is more of “a heavy lift” and could take longer.

Grants have been secured to cover the first phase, and the agency staff could present a request for proposals to the board in March, Brotcke said.

However, the agency still needs $5 million to pay for the second phase of studies, he said. Also, no money has been allocated for construction of either phase, and cost estimates could be developed as part of the studies. Relocating the tracks is likely to cost several billion dollars.

A proposal to realign the 1.7 miles of track off the bluffs in Del Mar to an inland tunnel beneath the city has been estimated at more than $4 billion, and construction costs are rising rapidly.

Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, has supported past transportation improvements, including the planning, engineering and design needed to advance the Del Mar relocation.

“Delivering federal funds for the protection of the LOSSAN corridor’s railroad tracks in San Clemente is a top priority of mine,” Levin said in an email Monday.

“I am engaged with local and state stakeholders, including OCTA and Caltrans, to support their needs and push the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program to direct funds to track relocation,” he said.

“Last year, I helped secure funding for the Army Corps’ San Clemente Shoreline Project, which will include sand replenishment near the railroad tracks, and this is a step in the right direction,” he said. “I will continue to fight for more resources to ensure we can relocate the railroad to a functional and safe location.”

The 140-year-old coastal rail line is the only viable route for passenger and freight trains between San Diego and the rest of the United States. The 350-mile LOSSAN corridor between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo is one of the nation’s busiest rail routes.

Inclement weather has extended the San Clemente stabilization project more than once, and completion now is expected in April. Costs have increased to more than $13.7 million.

The North County Transit District’s Coaster commuter service between Oceanside and San Diego has not been affected by the San Clemente work. OCTA’s Metrolink trains, which normally carry passengers as far south as Oceanside, only go as far south as the San Clemente Pier Station.

Freight service operates mostly at night and has continued throughout the project, though the trains travel slowly and less frequently across the work site.