Southern California Rail Corridor In Danger From Erosion, Lack of Leadership

The rail corridor spanning 351 miles between San Luis Obispo and San Diego on the Southern California coast faces an uncertain future as erosion and sea level rise threaten the coastline that much of the tracks run along. As Melanie Curry explains in Streetsblog California, the line “serves as an important passenger connection for points between Santa Barbara and San Diego, and the route is also a key freight corridor, directly serving the ports of San Diego and Port Heuneme [sic].”

With the southern end of the corridor “closed more than it’s been open” in the last few months, “The [California] legislature this year formed a subcommittee to discuss the considerable problems facing this crucial rail route, and today held a second hearing on the topic (the first was held in May).”

The subcommittee didn’t reach any conclusions about how to move forward, Curry adds. “Further threats from sea level rise and rain seepage will continue their inexorable work to erode the cliffs. And a very wide range of agencies and operators have some role in maintaining rails and service, and in planning future work - but there is no clear leader.” Curry notes that “Most of the emergency work over the last 23 months has been in response to landslides from properties owned by private individuals above the cliffs, and has ranged from building retaining walls to adding riprap and sand along the coast.”

Darrel Johnson, the CEO of Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), said it became obvious during the hearings that “that the state has a very clear process for highway emergencies. This does not exist for publicly owned railroads.”