Rail service through San Clemente remains halted as hillside continues to move after landslide

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- For some people riding Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train to and from San Diego through Orange County, the journey hasn't always been what they expected.

Stefano Cefalu is a student at UC San Diego and takes the train every other month.

"Coming from Solano Beach you're only on the train for like 10 minutes, so it's just kind of silly to get on a train for 10 minutes, get off immediately and be on a bus the rest of the time," Cefalu said.

For the fifth time in the last three years, Amtrak and Metrolink rail service through San Clemente has been forced to stop because of an eroding hillside pushing toward the tracks.

Passengers take connector buses between Irvine and Oceanside to go around the closure.

"It's pretty much an hour on the bus and 10 minutes on the train," Cefalu said. "It'd be a lot more comfortable just to stay on the train for the entire time."

"It gets annoying I guess just because I like going back later in the evening, and now you have to go earlier and plan according to the buses instead of the train," said Heidi Mejia, another student from UCSD.

The hillside in San Clemente has continued to move.

"We're talking a couple of inches, maybe in certain spots, a day," said Meredith Yeoman, a public relations manager for Metrolink.

As more rain moves in Metrolink, the city of San Clemente and the property owners of the sliding slope once again installed tarps over the hillside to stop moisture from seeping into the ground.

"We thought it was very successful in keeping the slope from moving farther as we would expect if it was not protected," Yeoman said.

In addition, Yeoman said the design of a catchment wall is being finalized which will prevent falling debris from the hillside reaching the rail line.

She said construction will start as soon as weather allows.

Passengers will have to continue using detours if riding Amtrak, and as far south as Laguna Niguel during the week if riding Metrolink.

Even though it's inconvenient at times, some train riders like Carmela Galanta said the bus detour is worth it as long as they safely get to their final destination.

"It doesn't matter as long as we reach our family and friends," Galanta said.

Freight trains continue to move through the affected area overnight and at slower speeds.