Amtrak is flying blind on crumbling Del Mar bluffs, auditor finds

As the failing bluffs at Del Mar play havoc with passenger and freight rail service, officials of taxpayer-subsidized Amtrak, otherwise known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, have been chronic no-shows at discussions to fix the problem.

"Since 2018, at least six bluff failures have occurred in the Del Mar Bluffs area just north of San Diego, California, resulting in temporary closures on the railroad tracks that traverse the area and speed restrictions on Amtrak's high-volume Pacific Surfliner route 1."

That's per a December 6 memo from Assistant Inspector General Jim Morrison to Amtrak executive vice president and chief operations officer Scot Naparstek calling out Amtrak's lack of engagement during the crisis.

"The most recent failure occurred in February 2021, when a 60-foot seawall collapsed at the base of 1.7-mile-long section of the tracks that run along the bluffs."

"Also, in late September 2021, coastal erosion and high tides caused the railroad tracks near San Clemente, California to shift 14 inches, leading to a 3-week partial shut-down of the Pacific Surfliner."

Yet despite the burgeoning crisis and threats to future service, Amtrak officials have remained above the fray and not "engaged in broader forums to discuss...the conditions and work along the bluffs."

"For example, after a major bluff slide in late 2019, the California State Transportation Agency organized a year-long effort to examine short- and long-term bluff stabilization issues that included more than 70 participants."

Amtrak, "the largest passenger operator on the bluffs," the report says, "did not participate."

"A follow-on study began in the summer of 2020 to analyze alternative route alignments, compare the benefits and costs in terms of safety, ridership, and speed, and assess impacts on service plans,

Amtrak, according to the audit, "is not participating in these discussions either, although any decisions to realign the route could affect the company's service plans and its revenue/ridership."

Notes the document, "Because the company has not been actively participating in ongoing working groups or discussions with stakeholders about these and other issues along the Pacific Surfliner route, it may not be receiving the most current information on the conditions, mitigation plans, and short- and long-term actions under consideration."

"Without current information on these efforts, the company may not be well-positioned to determine when circumstances warrant additional company actions. "

In a December 2, 2021, response to the audit's preliminary findings, Amtrak chief Scot Naparstek pledged a change of course.

"Effective immediately, the Executive Vice President/Chief Operations Officer has mandated that an Amtrak representative from the Operations Department will participate in ongoing discussions with stakeholders about evolving coastal conditions, short and long-term remediation efforts, and potential realignment of the Pacific Surfliner route."

"Amtrak is confident that the measures outlined here," the memo continued, "address the [Inspector General's] considerations and support Amtrak's proactive risk management strategy."