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Temporary Service Suspension Continues South of San Juan Capistrano
Pacific Surfliner Service Affected
4:00 pm PST
Mud slides and high-water conditions have lead to the temporary suspension of Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service between San Diego and San Juan Capistrano. No alternate transportation is available.
Pacific Surfliners continue to operate between San Luis Obispo and San Juan Capistrano, via Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
Amtrak is working closely with the North County Transit District to assess prospects for service restoration and will update this Service Alert by mid-day on Thursday, 12/23.
Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.
The sun was out briefly this afternoon in Santa Barbara so I think the worst is past us.
Frank in soggy SBA
PullmanCo Member # 1138
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FORCE MAJEURE!
Railroad Bob Member # 3508
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All the way to San Juan-- ? I'm just idly wondering why Amtrak doesn't use a "bus bridge" from San Diego To SNC...probably because as you say Frank, since the worst of the storm may be over, they expect the line stoppage to be brief.
A TV news story tonight showed pics of the H2O cascading along the ROW at Sorrento Valley, while the commentator was saying the actual roadbed materials below the rails were being eroded. If that is true, tampers and ballast machines might have to be called in; could take longer than a day at any rate. I've seen roadbeds eroded out in New Mexico along route of Train 3 and 4 due to high water; it can be a lot of time-consuming work to correct.
Hope they get the Surfline up soon for the many, many workers and tourists who use it; second-busiest Amtrak "corridor" line in the nation behind the NEC, I believe.
chrisg Member # 2488
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The Coaster Web site says no trains until Monday Dec 27th. The pictures didn't tell the whole story. Tracks were under water all the way from where they came off the Del Mar Bluffs after the bridge into the State Park all the way to the foot of the Miramar Grade.
Plus there was a mudlide along the bluffs north of North Beach that came across the highway and blocked the tracks for a time.
Chris
chrisg Member # 2488
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Merry Christmas and the line is open to San Diego as of this morning.
chris
smitty195 Member # 5102
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That was fast, considering how bad the damage looked on the news. I'm glad to hear they are up and running again.
But now it's the east coast's turn....NEC shut down between Boston and NYC due to major snow. Just saw video on the news. That's one heckuva snowstorm! I think they called it thundersnow, or some term like that which I've never heard of before.
DeeCT Member # 3241
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Smitty,
Thunder Snow = The combination of heavy snow mixed with sleet/ice/rain combo with thunder (sleet mix usually coming in off ocean). Have been through a few and they can be scary. Have spent all my nearly 70 years (few months short) living in RI and CT.
Dee
Edited to include this reference -- which is a much better description than mine ---
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I will take an occasional earthquake or some rain over "thunder snow", sleet, ice, blizzards, tornados, etc, any day of the week. Born and raised in California, and the rest of the nation can keep their weather!
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