Costal erosion, high tides close Metrolink through San Clemente

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - High tides and coastal erosion have brought passenger rail travel to a stop in parts of South Orange County.

Metrolink has suspended trains operating along a coastal stretch through San Clemente. Metrolink says tracks are closed between the Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Oceanside.

Aerial footage from SkyFOX captured crews working in San Clemente, dumping large boulders and rocks directly from work trains to reinforce the slope and protect the tracks.

What they're saying:

Local residents say the powerful waves have been hard to miss.

"The erosion is definitely worse, yeah it's definitely moving in," one Orange County resident noted, adding that high waters have begun creeping into properties along Beach Road. "We know that the train gets shut down all the time, so we know it's a big issue, and then with El Niño and stuff, we're seeing the effects of it more."

Surfers in San Clemente have also felt the impact of erosion and high tides firsthand.

RELATED: ‘High-seas fail’: Steve Hilton calls for action as Long Beach Peninsula takes pounding

"It was breaking over the rocks and hitting the railroads, so it was pretty bad," one surfer recalled. "It's been pretty sick with the swells, we lost a lot of beach, so the backwash has been getting pretty bad."

Widespread impact along the coastline

The damage extends well beyond the rail corridor. Over the past week, powerful swells have slammed homes along Beach Rd. in Dana Point.

In Newport Beach, heavy wave action stripped away massive amounts of sand, leaving steep drop-offs along the shore that caught beachgoers by surprise.

What commuters need to know

Metrolink says there is no definitive timeline for when coastal rail service will resume.

The OCTA encourages travelers to check the Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner websites for updates and alerts before traveling.

Orange County