Heavy Rains Delay Repairs to San Clemente Railway Track
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Recent downpours from storms hitting the Southern California coast have delayed repairs for railway tracks along Cyprus Shore in San Clemente until the end of March.
Previously, the Orange County Transit Authority informed the California Coastal Commission repairs would be finished and passenger trains would be up and running again in February.
“We are completing the work as efficiently as possible but with recent rains the schedule has been pushed back,” Orange County Transportation Authority spokesman Eric Carpenter told The Epoch Times. “The rain has made for exceedingly muddy and wet conditions with the ground being oversaturated, making it difficult for crews to work and, at times, impossible to move heavy machinery through the area.”
Train services were halted in 2021 for almost three weeks when the tracks were damaged by a small landslide. The tracks appeared stable for most of last year until data from a monitoring system showed additional reinforcements were needed after Hurricane Kay brought heavy winds and rain to Southern California in early September.
Carpenter told The Epoch Times some work has already been completed to restabilize the area and it has held steady in spite of recent heavy rains.
Officials said, however, the new timeline for completion could be pushed back again with more than expected rain.
Crews worked this week until Jan. 10, but stopped as rain pelted the region to ensure their safety.
According to Carpenter, work has now resumed through Jan. 13, before additional rain is forecasted to start Jan. 14.
Work to fix the railway is estimated to cost the transit authority about $12 million, which is not expected to increase with the delay, Carpenter said.
