DEL MAR–A closure of the region’s coastal rail line from Solana Beach to Sorrento Valley will take effect this weekend to allow SANDAG and North County Transit District (NCTD) crews to work on critical repairs along the Del Mar bluffs.
The rail closure will occur this weekend from just after midnight on Saturday, December 14, through 5 a.m. on Monday, December 16. All rail service will be halted between the Solana Beach Station and Santa Fe Depot during this period of time. NCTD will provide a bus bridge for passengers between the two stations.
The closure of the rail line in this area is necessary to allow crews to complete this work efficiently and safely.
SANDAG and NCTD will install approximately 80 feet of concrete lagging along the rail line between Sea Grove Park and 15th Street in the City of Del Mar. Concrete lagging serves a similar function to a retaining wall. This section of the Del Mar bluffs was reinforced with concrete support columns during previous stabilization projects. Per design, as the columns become exposed due to erosion, concrete lagging is constructed to provide support for the railroad. During construction, nearby residents and businesses can expect intermittent noise and lights.
The rail closure will affect three rail services operating on the San Diego segment of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) coastal rail corridor: NCTD COASTER, Amtrak, and freight carrier BNSF. Riders are encouraged to allow for more travel time as trains could be delayed in arriving at destinations.
Since 2003, SANDAG and NCTD have completed three stabilization projects along the 1.7 miles of coastal bluffs, installed more than 200 support columns, replaced aging drainage infrastructure, and constructed dozens of sea walls to reinforce and protect the bluffs.
In late January 2020, a new $5.8 million stabilization project to install localized support piles and replace and rehabilitate drainage and bluff protections is expected to begin. The Del Mar bluffs stabilization efforts have been funded by a combination of federal, state, and local sources.
Currently, SANDAG and NCTD are exploring opportunities to secure approximately $100 million in funding to advance design and construction for future planned stabilization projects.
