SAN DIEGO — Passenger rail service across more than 350 miles of Southern California track will be suspended the weekend of March 7-8 to accommodate major infrastructure improvements.
.jpg)
There will be no Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains operating between San Diego and San Luis Obispo due to coordinated track closures led by Union Pacific Railroad, Metrolink and the North County Transit District (NCTD), according to Amtrak.
The closure will affect rail traffic both north and south of Los Angeles, temporarily halting one of the state’s busiest intercity rail corridors.
“This closure is part of a coordinated effort by the host railroads along the LOSSAN corridor to complete critical track infrastructure projects, while reducing the overall impact on riders,” Amtrak said.
Several construction and maintenance projects will move forward during the shutdown, including stabilization work along the vulnerable Del Mar Bluffs in San Diego County — a stretch of coastline that has faced erosion concerns for years — as well as signal system upgrades designed to improve long-term safety and reliability.
NCTD said weekend closures occur periodically throughout the year on a pre-determined schedule. This allows construction crews to work safely on and along the rail line.
By consolidating major work into scheduled weekend outages, agencies aim to limit weekday commuter disruption while accelerating infrastructure improvements across the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor.
While passenger and freight service will be paused, NCTD noted that construction vehicles, maintenance equipment and test trains may still be active on or near the tracks.
The public should stay alert and only cross the rail line at lawfully designated rail crossings.
During the closure, there will be no replacement bus service connecting COASTER station stops. However, transit officials recommend alternatives such as the BREEZE bus Route 101 or connections through the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS).
Amtrak Connection Bus routes will continue operating, though regularly scheduled rail connections to those buses will not be available.
Travelers are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra time and consider alternate forms of transportation throughout the weekend.
Regularly scheduled rail service is expected to resume in time for the morning commute on March 9. However, NCTD said trains may be delayed up to fifteen minutes that day as normal operations ramp back up.
The temporary shutdown reflects broader efforts to modernize and reinforce Southern California’s coastal rail network — a corridor that supports millions of passengers annually and plays a critical role in both regional mobility and economic activity.
Originally reported by Alysse Dodge in Yahoo News.
.webp)
