OCTA advanced its Coastal Rail Resiliency Study (CRRS), a planning effort focused on safeguarding the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor along the south Orange County coast.
The study identifies and evaluates strategies that would protect the 7-mile coastal rail segment between Dana Point and the San Diego County line from erosion, bluff instability, and the effects of ocean waves nearing the rail line.
The CRRS builds on OCTA’s ongoing work to ensure the safety and reliability of passenger and freight rail service while protecting coastal access and the environment. Part of a broader, multi-agency effort, the study addresses both immediate and long-term challenges to one of the nation’s most important rail corridors.
“After years of reacting to sea encroaching and bluff destabilization along our rail corridor, we begin studying viable, proactive solutions for the future. While the state undertakes the long-term study to potentially relocate the LOSSAN Rail Corridor, OCTA continues advancing our mid-term stabilization efforts,” said OCTA Director Katrina Foley, also the County’s Fifth District Supervisor. “By investing in sand renourishment to save Orange County’s eroding beaches, OCTA protects our ocean economy and national security, while ensuring rail stability for local commuters for decades to come.”
Continued public feedback this fall will help shape the study and contribute to a final feasibility report expected in 2026.