NORTH COUNTY–A full rail closure will be in effect this weekend to accommodate scheduled work along the passenger and freight rail line from Oceanside to San Diego.
The scheduled closure will occur just after midnight on Saturday, January 11, through Monday morning, January 13 at 5 a.m.
SANDAG will complete several improvements to double track rail service where there is currently one track to improve capacity and efficiency. During the rail closure, construction activities are also planned for the Mid-Coast Trolley project, which will extend UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley service from the Santa Fe Depot in Downtown San Diego north to the University community.
The upcoming full rail closure, called an absolute work window, is a routinely scheduled closure to advance rail construction and ensure worker safety.
The rail closure will affect four rail services operating on the San Diego segment of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) coastal rail corridor: North County Transit District (NCTD), Metrolink, Amtrak, and the freight carrier BNSF.
Ongoing construction activities are planned throughout the Mid-Coast corridor. As part of the Mid-Coast Trolley project, crews will remove temporary support structures (known as falsework); construct retaining walls; identify the location of underground utilities; place rocks to protect slopes; and install fencing, cable railing, and sewer, water, and drainage pipes.
The Mid-Coast Trolley project is anticipated to be completed by late 2021.
At the San Diego River Bridge near Friars Road, crews will continue ongoing bridge construction activities. The $93.9 million project will add 0.9 miles of double track across the river connecting to existing double track at each end. The work will result in a continuous 7-mile double track segment in the southernmost portion of the LOSSAN corridor. The project also includes a new double track bridge and signal modifications.
The San Diego River Bridge project is anticipated to be completed in 2020. View the project map.
Regular passenger rail service is scheduled to resume in time for the morning commute on Monday, January 13. Riders are encouraged to allow for more travel time as trains could be delayed in arriving at the destination.
During all construction, nearby residents and businesses can expect intermittent noise and lights. Visit GoNCTD.com, Amtrak.com, or MetrolinkTrains.com for alternate route schedules.
