A 5.2 earthquake today prompted the North County Transit District (NCTD) to temporarily suspend train service between Solana Beach and Sorrento Valley.
DEL MAR, Calif — A 5.2 magnitude earthquake today prompted the North County Transit District (NCTD) to temporarily suspend train service between Solana Beach and Sorrento Valley in San Diego County, California. The decision was made to ensure passenger safety and inspect the Del Mar Bluffs for any potential damage.
Following the morning quake, NCTD reduced speeds on all tracks from the Orange County border to downtown San Diego. The agency then completely halted service on the stretch between Solana Beach and Sorrento Valley to allow crews to assess the stability of the Del Mar Bluffs, an area long known for erosion concerns.
“Our chief goal in responding to any natural disaster is to make sure that our service is safe,” said NCTD spokesperson, Mary Dover. Â “We have in-house track maintenance crews, and then we also have on-call contractors to make sure that we have the support across the board to ensure the stability of the tracks.”
The service disruption affected both local commuters and long-distance travelers, including Amtrak passengers. Riders were required to disembark at affected stations and were provided bus transportation to continue their journeys. Some passengers opted for alternative transportation methods, such as ride-sharing services.
One passenger, a mother traveling with her son from Los Angeles to the San Diego Zoo, described her experience: “We were cruising, going at normal speed. We got a notification on our phone about an earthquake and the train started to slow down and then they told us we can’t move at all.”
At the Solana Beach station, numerous passengers were observed waiting outside after disembarking from a southbound Amtrak train.
Inspections of the affected areas took several hours. Fortunately, no damage was found, and train service resumed later in the day. The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) also reported that trolley service, which had been slowed as a precautionary measure, returned to normal operations after track inspections revealed no damage.
The Del Mar Bluffs have been a focus of concern for years due to ongoing erosion issues and their proximity to train tracks. Today’s earthquake and subsequent service disruptions highlight the ongoing challenges faced by transportation officials in maintaining safe rail operations in the area.
