Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Where to move the trains from Del Mar bluffs?

Tunnel vs. along I-5

The 1-5 tunnel lagoon alignment would get trains out of two lagoons.
The 1-5 tunnel lagoon alignment would get trains out of two lagoons.


Powerful winter storms and a recent landslide that stopped the trains in San Clemente are reminders of the urgency of moving the rail line off the Del Mar bluffs.

But where to put the massive 1.6-mile $300 million dollar project?

At Monday's Del Mar City Council meeting, the San Diego Association of Governments discussed the latest on moving the trains away from the eroding bluffs. Dozens showed up to speak on that one topic. For many the theme was: not under my house, don't wreck the town. 

The Pacific Surfliner ridership makes ours the second busiest intercity rail corridor in the nation.


The rail realignment project is envisioned as routing trains into a tunnel beneath Del Mar, with about a dozen possible routes in the running. More are expected to be identified this year, and all options are on the table, officials said. Final selection of alternatives will be in 2026. 

"We've got this tunnel mentality," said local  Mac McLoughlin, who preferred the option that would run the rail alongside the 1-5. "I think the problem is freight." Some of that could be shifted to the 1-5, he suggested, then having light rail for those needing transit without burrowing under the city.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The San Diego region contains 61 miles of the 351-mile railway that travels from San Luis Obispo to downtown. Officials said in 2023, there were 1,517,425 riders on the Pacific Surfliner, making the LOSSAN the second busiest intercity rail corridor in the nation. Among the plans, the agency wants to double track the segment to improve transit and freight capacity.

Planning will remain in the public outreach phase throughout this year. "Nothing's been decided yet," said the agency's interim CEO, Coleen Clementson. "We want to hear — what are we missing?"

So far, public input shows people want to make sure the 1-5 alignment and fairgrounds alignment are high on the list of alternatives. For their part, the fairgrounds association is against having the rail cut through the state-owned property, where affordable housing is being considered. 

Other suggestions included a cost benefit analysis. Kevin Patrick, with the School of Public Health at UCSD, argued for a Rails to Trails conversion, saying it could reduce obesity and improve the environment. "This is not just a Del Mar issue." 

Camilla Rang spoke in favor of the 1-5 tunnel lagoon alignment. Double track through Solana Beach, starting in the trench. It would get trains out of two lagoons; require no bridge in the San Dieguito River; protect the northern access to town, and wouldn't impact the fairgrounds, businesses or homes. "This option must be studied in 2024." 

Most of this year will be devoted to defining the project, planners said. The final environmental report won't be ready until 2026, when the agency's board of directors will consider approving it — which will determine the final alignment.

The design will be developed between 2026-2028, with construction occurring from 2028-2035. Access to the fairgrounds, businesses and emergency routes will be maintained during construction, officials said. Most construction will be at the south portal, which has direct access to 1-5. And somewhere in all of that will be right-of-way acquisition.

Officials said it's too soon to know if homes will have to be acquired to make way for a tunnel.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Morricone Youth, Berkley Hart, Dark Entities, Black Heart Procession, Monsters Of Hip-Hop

Live movie soundtracks, birthdays and more in Balboa Park, Grantville, Oceanside, Little Italy
The 1-5 tunnel lagoon alignment would get trains out of two lagoons.
The 1-5 tunnel lagoon alignment would get trains out of two lagoons.


Powerful winter storms and a recent landslide that stopped the trains in San Clemente are reminders of the urgency of moving the rail line off the Del Mar bluffs.

But where to put the massive 1.6-mile $300 million dollar project?

At Monday's Del Mar City Council meeting, the San Diego Association of Governments discussed the latest on moving the trains away from the eroding bluffs. Dozens showed up to speak on that one topic. For many the theme was: not under my house, don't wreck the town. 

The Pacific Surfliner ridership makes ours the second busiest intercity rail corridor in the nation.


The rail realignment project is envisioned as routing trains into a tunnel beneath Del Mar, with about a dozen possible routes in the running. More are expected to be identified this year, and all options are on the table, officials said. Final selection of alternatives will be in 2026. 

"We've got this tunnel mentality," said local  Mac McLoughlin, who preferred the option that would run the rail alongside the 1-5. "I think the problem is freight." Some of that could be shifted to the 1-5, he suggested, then having light rail for those needing transit without burrowing under the city.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The San Diego region contains 61 miles of the 351-mile railway that travels from San Luis Obispo to downtown. Officials said in 2023, there were 1,517,425 riders on the Pacific Surfliner, making the LOSSAN the second busiest intercity rail corridor in the nation. Among the plans, the agency wants to double track the segment to improve transit and freight capacity.

Planning will remain in the public outreach phase throughout this year. "Nothing's been decided yet," said the agency's interim CEO, Coleen Clementson. "We want to hear — what are we missing?"

So far, public input shows people want to make sure the 1-5 alignment and fairgrounds alignment are high on the list of alternatives. For their part, the fairgrounds association is against having the rail cut through the state-owned property, where affordable housing is being considered. 

Other suggestions included a cost benefit analysis. Kevin Patrick, with the School of Public Health at UCSD, argued for a Rails to Trails conversion, saying it could reduce obesity and improve the environment. "This is not just a Del Mar issue." 

Camilla Rang spoke in favor of the 1-5 tunnel lagoon alignment. Double track through Solana Beach, starting in the trench. It would get trains out of two lagoons; require no bridge in the San Dieguito River; protect the northern access to town, and wouldn't impact the fairgrounds, businesses or homes. "This option must be studied in 2024." 

Most of this year will be devoted to defining the project, planners said. The final environmental report won't be ready until 2026, when the agency's board of directors will consider approving it — which will determine the final alignment.

The design will be developed between 2026-2028, with construction occurring from 2028-2035. Access to the fairgrounds, businesses and emergency routes will be maintained during construction, officials said. Most construction will be at the south portal, which has direct access to 1-5. And somewhere in all of that will be right-of-way acquisition.

Officials said it's too soon to know if homes will have to be acquired to make way for a tunnel.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About doTERRA

Next Article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader