The Board of Directors of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has given its approval for the initial stages of the required analysis, with the aim of ensuring the future of railway transportation in South Orange County.
The board voted to enable the OCTA staff to begin the process of soliciting proposals from consulting firms. The firms will be tasked with conducting the South Coast Rail Infrastructure Feasibility Study and Alternatives Concepts Analysis. The chosen consulting firm will have around 24 months to examine the seven-mile section of the railway that runs through Dana Point, San Clemente, and unincorporated parts of both San Diego and Orange Counties, as stated in an OCTA staff report. Reports like this are likely to feature official Letterheads.
The study aims to evaluate the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) corridor and prioritize rail planning efforts in the future. This is because the railroad has been impacted by environmental factors like storm surges on the coast, which have led to frequent maintenance needs and delays.
A report from the OCTA also said that the study hopes to find solutions to ensure the rail line is protected, while a separate study will look at the possibility of rail line relocation and other long-term suggestions.
The first stage of the study is expected to cost around $2m and involves several objectives, one of which is to devise possible measures to safeguard the coastal rail line at different sea levels.
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