First batch of sand arrives to protect vulnerable rail line in Orange County

Orange County crews have begun laying thousands of pounds of sand in San Clemente as part of an emergency project to protect a vulnerable passenger and freight rail line along the Pacific coast.

On Friday, members of the Orange County Transportation Authority celebrated the delivery of the first round of sand to be placed along the coastal rail line in a “sand nourishment” effort meant to protect the vital train corridor from the elements.

Over the next week, more than 300 truckloads of sand from a quarry in Palm Springs will be dropped off in the area, totalling more approximately 3,400 cubic yards of sand.

In the following days, crews will place the sand along a more-than quarter-mile stretch of North Beach in San Clemente, which has been the site of previous track closures due to erosion, landslides and other weather events that have crippled passenger and freight service in Southern California.

The sand is considered an immediate protection measure that works in concert with wider efforts to permanently stabilize and protect the 120-year-old rail line, which is utilized by Amtrak, Metrolink and Union Pacific.

Four areas along a seven-mile tract are the main focus of those fortification efforts. Unlike previous restoration work, the sand placement is not expected to affect passenger rail service.

In the coming months, more sand will be delivered along the beleaguered rail line. As much as 540,000 cubic yards of sand is planned to be placed, “pending sand sourcing and additional state and federal permitting approvals.”

When completed, the sand nourishment portion of the repair project is expected to have cost about $900,000.

Later this month, additional work will take place near Mariposa Point, the site of a landslide that damaged the popular San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail. Crews will construct a nearly 1,400-foot catchment wall to protect the rail line from the sliding hill above. That work is scheduled to be completed next summer, officials said.

Earlier this year, crews placed thousands of pounds of rocks and boulders called “riprap” along the rail line as the first line of defense from the ocean.

The Orange County Transportation Authority is leading the efforts to rehabilitate and reinforce the historic rail line, investing more than $300 million to protect the tracks for at least three decades.

The state of California will study longer-term solutions, OCTA officials said.

Orange County Supervisor and OCTA Director Katrina Foley said the vital work is of utmost importance for the agency, but added that “slow, excessive bureaucracy” prohibits them from delivering the sand all at once.

“We must work collaboratively with all levels of government to expedite sand renourishment efforts and protect our iconic Orange County beaches,” Foley said.