Landslide in San Clemente Continues to Interrupt Train Service

Damage is shown after a landslide hit Casa Romantica in San Clemente, Calif., on April 28, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Train service surrounding San Clemente, California, is still out of service, and the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and nearby residents have been evacuated due to a landslide that occurred on April 27.

Metrolink’s railway transportation has been suspended from Laguna Niguel to San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, and Oceanside, without any alternate transportation in place for those needing to travel further south. A spokesman said service will be reopened once it is safe.

Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner has also temporarily shut down train services between Irvine and San Diego, with limited available train service as far as San Juan Capistrano, according to officials.

The slope below the western side of the Casa Romantica structure—a center for cultural programs and a historic landmark—dropped 20 feet around 1 p.m. on Thursday, following several days of small land movement.

Damage is shown after a landslide hit Casa Romantica in San Clemente, Calif., on April 28, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The building was red-tagged, or deemed unsuitable for occupation, along with some condominium units farther down the hillside.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said it could take a long time to repair the damage.

“I was on the balcony before the terrace that fell,” Foley said of a visit to the center Friday. “That’s going to take a lot of construction work to get that back [to its former state].”

A closed sign is shown after a landslide hit Casa Romantica in San Clemente, Calif., on April 28, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

She anticipated the repairs may require Coastal Commission approval as well as city permits.

On Tuesday, the San Clemente City Council had approved a contract with a geologic contractor for $75,000 to analyze ground movement and develop a plan to provide more support on the hillside.

According to a press release from the city on Thursday, the contractor was working around the site of Casa Romantic when the slide occurred and is continuing to monitor movement.

The city is also partnering with the Orange County Fire Authority Urban Search and Rescue team to monitor the land at the cultural center, since the site is still considered “active.”

A beach trail is closed after a landslide occurred in San Clemente, Calif., on April 28, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The beach trail below has also been closed until further notice.

Photographs of the area show a broken section of the terrace at Casa Romantica hanging over the edge of the hill, as well as other damage.

Passenger train travel through San Clemente for Metrolink and Amtrack had only recently resumed April 17 after months of closure due to unstable land along the tracks.

City News Service contributed to this report.