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Train Service Halted Through San Clemente Again As Coastal Bluffs Keep Crumbling
Construction work along the train tracks near San Clemente State Beach.
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Jill Replogle
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LAist
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Metrolink and Amtrak halted passenger train service through San Clemente in south Orange County Monday, barely a week after they restarted service following the last landslide.
The problem is — again — debris falling from the slope below Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens.
Is this déjà vu?
A little more than a month ago, train service was halted and Casa Romantica was forced to close after the slope behind the cultural center gave way. The historic landmark partially reopened on May 25 without its popular oceanfront terrace, which was destroyed in that earlier landslide. Passenger train service through the area was reinstated a few days after the reopening — until today.
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Casa Romantica is normally closed on Mondays. In a statement to LAist, the cultural center's executive director, Amy Behrens, said as of this morning, the city advised them that they can remain open, although Behrens said staff is "actively monitoring the situation."
Behrens said the land moved Monday morning following two weeks of work on the bluff by city contractors.
What is happening to the coast?
Coastal erosion is a natural occurrence but the effects on San Clemente have likely been exacerbated by human activities, including development and the lack of consistent sand replenishment on local beaches, plus sea level rise.
Saturated soils following the unusually wet winter have likely also played a role in this and other recent landslides in San Clemente.
What's the plan for the future?
Local government representatives are beginning to explore solutions, including ramping up sand replenishment and moving the tracks inland. One San Clemente beach is already slated to get 250,000 cubic yards of sand this fall.
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What's the latest on train service?
As of Monday afternoon, Amtrak has buses to ferry Pacific Surfliner passengers around the track closure. Metrolink trains are only operating as far south as the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station.
You can get updates on Metrolink service here and Amtrak service here.
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