The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors declared an emergency along the coastal rail line in San Clemente, California, authorizing the agency to accelerate work intended to protect the railroad from erosion and potentially severe fall and winter conditions.

The action allows OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson to move “quickly” to secure specialized contractors, materials, marine dredging equipment, and sand sources as they become available.

The railroad is part of the 351-mile Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor. It carries Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passenger trains, along with freight and military traffic.

Recent Waves Prompt Emergency Action

OCTA's action follows powerful waves and high tides in early September that overtopped the tracks and caused additional erosion and deterioration of the coastal slope near the railroad. According to a release, passenger rail service was temporarily suspended while crews performed emergency stabilization work.

The agency now plans to construct an engineered shoreline protection structure and repair existing riprap along approximately three-quarters of a mile south of San Clemente State Beach, where portions of the railroad embankment have limited or no existing protection.

OCTA also plans to place approximately 690,000 cubic yards of sand along the coast. About 240,000 cubic yards is planned between North Beach and Mariposa Point, with another 450,000 cubic yards planned south of San Clemente State Beach.

The emergency declaration follows California Governor Gavin Newsom's September 21 state of emergency proclamation in preparation for developing 2026-27 El Niño conditions. The proclamation recognized potential threats to the state's coastline and critical infrastructure and directed state agencies to accelerate preparations for flooding and coastal erosion.

“For the past five years, OCTA has taken all possible steps to speed up work to protect this critical link in Southern California’s transportation system, and it’s important to acknowledge our Board’s leadership in this effort,” Johnson said.

Limited Equipment Adds Urgency

The emergency authority allows OCTA to accelerate contracting and procurement but does not eliminate environmental review or permitting requirements. The agency said it will continue working with the California Coastal Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other regulatory agencies to obtain the necessary approvals.

OCTA has identified Surfside-Sunset as a viable source of beach-compatible sand, but getting hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of material to the affected coastline presents another challenge.

Because the railroad is squeezed between the bluff and ocean with limited land access, large-scale sand placement requires specialized marine dredging equipment that can transport sand to the site and pump it ashore.

OCTA said the number of large, U.S.-qualified hopper dredges capable of performing the work is limited, with many committed to projects months in advance. The agency is therefore advancing design, permitting, and contracting simultaneously to secure equipment when a work window becomes available.

Protecting the physical railroad ensures reliable service. Since 2021, rail service through San Clemente has been interrupted multiple times by bluff failures, beach loss, erosion of the railroad embankment, and deteriorating shoreline protection. Those disruptions have affected a corridor used by both Metrolink commuter rail and Amtrak intercity passenger service.

More Than $300 Million Secured for Rail Stabilization

OCTA has secured more than $300 million in state and federal funding for coastal rail stabilization, including:

• $125 million through California's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program
• $80 million through the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program
• $100 million through the Federal Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program

The latest emergency projects support efforts to maintain the existing coastal alignment while transportation officials consider its longer-term future.

OCTA has also completed its Coastal Rail Resiliency Study, which evaluates strategies to protect about seven miles of the coastal rail corridor through Dana Point and San Clemente for up to the next 30 years. A separate state-led effort is expected to examine longer-term solutions beyond that period.

OCTA staff will provide the Board with regular updates as contracting, permitting, and construction advance.