Del Mar Bluffs & LOSSAN Rail Improvements

The Los Angeles—San Diego—San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor is the second busiest intercity rail corridor in the nation supporting commuter, intercity, and freight rail services. It stretches 351- miles from San Diego to Luis Obispo, connecting major metropolitan areas of Southern California and the Central Coast. Train operations on the line include Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority’s Metrolink, and the North County Transit District’s COASTER and SPRINTER passenger rail services; and Union Pacific and BNSF Railway freight rail services.  

This critical rail corridor is the economic lifeline for our region, moving nearly eight million passengers and $1 billion worth of goods a year. It also plays a vital role in our nation’s defense by providing direct rail access to several key military bases. 

The San Diego region’s segment of the LOSSAN corridor extends 60 miles from the San Diego County and Orange County border to the Santa Fe Depot in Downtown San Diego. The segment passes over six coastal lagoons, Camp Pendleton, and the cities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar before coming to its final destination in Downtown San Diego. In our region, approximately 50 trains operate each weekday south of Oceanside. 

During the next 20 years, SANDAG plans to construct nearly $1 billion in improvements in the San Diego segment, including primary efforts to double track the corridor from Orange County to Downtown San Diego, stabilize the rail segment along the coastal Del Mar Bluffs, and relocate the rail corridor off the eroding bluffs. To date, two-thirds of the San Diego segment has been double tracked, four stabilization projects have been completed, and an alternative alignment study is underway. Other infrastructure improvements include bridge and track replacements, new platforms, pedestrian undercrossings, and other safety and operational enhancements.