Surfliner and Coaster to Resume Full Service April 17

U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) hosted Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose this week to tour the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor (LOSSAN Corridor) corridor, which will resume service on April 17. The corridor has faced continual service disruptions due to coastal erosion and an increase in extreme weather.

The two federal leaders rode the COASTER commuter line from San Diego to Solana Beach to see firsthand the scope of the problem. The LOSSAN Corridor hugs the coast for much of its route, and a section of tracks along the Del Mar bluffs will need to be relocated.

The Coaster commuter service has been suspended since September 2023, when a storm surge from rare Pacific hurricane led to a shift in the ground beneath the tracks. The LOSSAN Corridor also carries Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, making it the second busiest rail corridor in the U.S.

“This visit was timely because we’re seeing the detrimental effects of coastal erosion on this rail corridor in San Clemente and Del Mar right now,” said Rep. Levin in a press release. “The LOSSAN Corridor is the second busiest intercity passenger rail corridor in the United States and supports $1 billion in goods and services annually. That’s what’s at stake. I was glad to have Administrator Bose visit our district and to show him first-hand the urgency of this situation. I look forward to a continued partnership on solving this challenge.”

Rep. Levin has played a key role in securing federal funds to stabilize eroding coastal bluffs in Del Mar that threaten LOSSAN Corridor operations, and Rail Passengers Association members and staff met with Rep. Levin's officed to discuss this problem during our Rail Passengers Day on the Hill. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) invested $13 million in local funds to perform emergency work to stabilize key sections of track. The state is currently looking for additional federal funds to secure a long-term solution, and OCTA will conduct a study to relocate 11 miles of track.

“To see the effort, thought and planning already going into this is a big statement to me, to see the local solutions being sought here are very important,” Administrator Bose told reporters. “When we see that on the federal level, that makes it a very positive signal to us that if there’s an ability to contribute from the federal government those dollars will go further.”

Amtrak has been offering a Thruway connection between Oceanside and Irving, while Metrolink had suspended service south of the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo station, forcing passengers onto overcrowded highways.