Coastal rail closure scheduled for Sept. 10-11

The San Diego coastal rail corridor will experience a major closure on Sept. 10 and 11, as COASTER and Amtrak service will not run that weekend due to infrastructure improvements.

Additionally, passengers should be aware of two other routes that will be affected: Amtrak 796, which is scheduled to depart Oceanside on Sept. 9 at 11:57 p.m. will not proceed further south, and the special northbound Padres COASTER 699 trains on Sept. 10 and 11 will be cancelled.

The special northbound Padres COASTER 699 train on Sept. 9, however, will run as planned.

Sept. 10/11 is first of four upcoming weekend closures on the corridor, with the other three scheduled for consecutive weekends in October (8-9, 15-16, and 22-23). During the September closure, the North County Transit District will replace track, install new culvert crossings and shore a bridge as part of the Mid-Coast Corridor Project.

Amtrak will continue service to and from the Oceanside Transit Center, but will not operate south of the station. Metrolink will also continue service to and from the Oceanside Transit Center.

There will be no replacement bus service connecting COASTER stations. Alternatives for some COASTER passengers may include BREEZE Route 101 or MTS connections. Amtrak connecting bus service will require Amtrak reservations.

Coastal rail service will re-open for regularly scheduled service in time for the Monday morning commute. However, passengers should note that trains may be delayed up to 10 minutes on Sept. 12.

For alternative trip planning assistance, passengers can contact NCTD Customer Service at 760-966-6500, or visit www.gonctd.com.

— Submitted press release