Regional transit planners in California have cleared another financial step toward replacing Del Mar’s 110-year-old wooden train trestle, part of a broader rail upgrade intended to improve reliability and capacity on the coastal corridor linking San Diego with Los Angeles.
The effort, dubbed the San Dieguito Double Track and Special Events Platform project, has been cleared for an advance of up to $62 million in local funds to keep the project on track for construction next year.
The project is headed by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and is estimated to cost around $350 million in total. The SANDAG board approved the advance from local TransNet reserves, with repayment expected over three years beginning in 2029 through the State Transportation Improvement Program.
The project has also received a $53.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program, along with $100 million from California’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program and other state and federal sources.
The project will replace the aging wooden trestle bridge over the San Dieguito River with a new structure elevated above the 100-year floodplain, designed to reduce operational disruptions from severe storms, king tides and flooding linked to sea level rise. It also includes about 1.5 miles of new double track between the Solana Beach trench and the north end of the Camino del Mar and Jimmy Durante overpass.
This stretch currently includes single-track sections that require trains to wait for oncoming traffic before passing, limiting capacity and contributing to service delays. Adding double track through this segment will allow northbound and southbound trains to pass simultaneously, improving reliability and supporting increased service capacity across the corridor.
Along with track improvements, a new special events platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds will provide rail passengers with direct access to events at the fairgrounds such as the San Diego County Fair. The platform is also expected to reduce vehicular traffic and congestion around the fairgrounds during major events.
Other planned work includes upgrades to signals and communications systems, new track turnouts, embankment reinforcement, drainage improvements and the relocation of utilities. No new land acquisition is needed, according to officials, as the project scope falls within the existing North County Transit District (NCTD) right-of-way.
The project is located along the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor, which carries Amtrak Pacific Surfliner intercity service, NCTD COASTER commuter trains and freight operations through the San Diego region.
Environmental review for the project began in late 2015, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact in January 2016 under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Permitting was completed in October 2017 and design progressed to the 90% milestone in January 2020.
Final design is now complete, and SANDAG expects to advertise for construction bids in 2026. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027 and be completed by mid-2031.
Photo by Robert Jones from Pixabay
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