LOS ANGELES — Major disruptions to rail service in Southern California are slated for the weekend of Oct. 25-26, when Union Pacific, Metrolink, and the North County Transit District will conduct major track projects, shutting down three Metrolink lines, NCTD Coaster service, and Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight.
Separately, Metrolink has announced service changes on its Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County lines for this Saturday, Oct. 18, because of a Marine Corps event at Camp Pendleton.
Near San Diego, Coaster operations will be halted both days for the ongoing Del Mar Bluffs stabilization project [see “Work to begin on Del Mar Bluffs stabilization,” Trains.com, March 19, 2024]. That is also part of the disruption for the Surfliner; the Surfliner service, which will suspend all service between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, Calif., says in a travel advisory that track, crossing, and switch work are also planned in the Santa Barbara and Ventura areas, while Orange County will see track, crossing, signal, and power pole work, along with the ongoing Orange County Coastal Rail Resiliency project to address slides and other erosion near San Clemente [see “Coastal Commission approves permit …,” Trains.com, April 16, 2025].
The work in Orange and Ventura counties will also lead to suspension of operations on three of Metrolink’s seven routes, the Ventura County, Orange County, and Inland Empire-Orange County lines. A Metrolink advisory says no alternate transportation will be provided, and apologizes that “necessary infrastructure enhancements sometimes result in track closures that may be inconvenient for our riders.”
Amtrak’s website currently does not show any advisory for Coast Starlight service because of the trackwork, but the only travel offered on those dates between Los Angeles and Emeryville, Calif., involves a bus connection to San Joaquins service between Bakersfield and Emeryville. The Starlight is listed as operating normally between Emeryville and Seattle.
Metrolink service to be restricted for Marine Corps celebration
Metrolink said in a press release today (Oct. 15) that it will not operate most of the trains scheduled to operate south of its Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station on Saturday in response to a request from officials overseeing a celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary at Camp Pendleton. The event will include a demonstration of an amphibious assault at the base; the tracks used by Metrolink run through the base near the beach.
Metrolink says the only train it expects to operate all the way to Oceanside on Saturday is Orange County Line train No. 1668, which departs Los Angeles Union Station at 4:27 p.m. and is due in Oceanside at 6:35 p.m.
— Updated at 5:08 p.m. CT with Metrolink announcement of Oct. 18 service interruption to Oceanside.
