Some Metrolink and Amtrak service will be suspended for a weekend later this month as crews perform major track projects across the local railroad system both north and south of Los Angeles.
The outage is scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13, and will affect Metrolink’s Ventura County, Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County lines, as well as the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, with no service between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
The Antelope Valley, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange County and the 91/Perris Valley lines will be unaffected by the service outage. Metrolink’s 9-mile Arrow route operating solely in San Bernardino County is also unaffected.
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While train service will be suspended across three Metrolink lines and also affecting the Surfliner, Metrolink will not be providing additional train service or alternative transportation, officials said. Amtrak says its Amtrak Connection Bus routes will continue to operate during the closure, but no bus bridges will be provided.
Why is Metrolink and Pacific Surfliner service suspended?
This month’s service interruption is taking place across the entirety of the LOSSAN Corridor, as Metrolink, as well as Union Pacific and North County Transit District complete their own projects.
The “critical track infrastructure” projects were deliberately scheduled to take place simultaneously over the duration of a single weekend in an attempt to minimize the overall impact on riders.
Amtrak has identified the following projects on its website as the ones affecting upcoming service:
- Orange Subdivision (just south of Irvine Station): A reroute of the Borrego Creek channel and the need to jack (or push) a new channel box under the railroad. This is to extend Marine Way under the tracks and provide additional access to OC Great Park.
- Orange Subdivision (San Clemente area): Reconfigure work zones for the on-going slope stabilization and trail reconstruction work
- Ventura Subdivision (in Tunnel 26 north of Chatsworth): Ballast cleaning and water pump maintenance to protect track from rotting.
- Ventura Subdivision (various locations): General Track maintenance and rehab
Amtrak says its 794 and 595 trains will also be affected on the evening of Sept. 11, with the 794 train ending service in L.A. while the 595 is canceled and replaced with bus service.
The LOSSAN Corridor is a bit of a hodge-podge when it comes to who owns what. Metrolink (functionally) owns portions of the the track in some areas, while regional transit authorities like NCTD and Orange County Transportation Authority own segments near their jurisdiction. Major freighters like BNSF Railway and Union Pacific own large swaths as well.
It’s a delicate dance routine to coordinate amongst all involved parties to get repairs, upgrades or modifications done in a timely matter without affecting riders or companies who depend on freight.
Metrolink says it understands that any service interruptions lasting more than an hour or so can be extremely inconvenient, but the infrastructures are crucial to maintaining the system.
“Safety is foundational at Metrolink, and we are regularly working to ensure the long-term safety and reliability of our system in the communities we serve,” a Metrolink release states. “We apologize that these necessary infrastructure enhancements sometimes result in the closure of the rail line and understand the inconvenience it causes our riders. We will continue to look for ways to minimize the service impacts of these critical work windows.”
For a complete list of upcoming advisories from Metrolink, click here.
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