FUD Wrote:
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> Bob: your 1980 San Clemente project was updated
> for one of the LOSSAN plans in the 1990s or early
> aughts, I think. Why has it never gone anywhere?
> The one I remember seeing was generally located
> along I-5, partly in tunnel, and in large part
> doable with cut & cover work. So it's kind of a
> longer version of the Del Mar tunnel scheme, but
> with a station in the middle someplace.

I think this went nowhere, and doesn't really do what the AHS project proposed.

One of the options for the American High Speed proposed bypass would have gone over I-5 at Laguna Nigel (Toll Road and I-5) tunnel under the San Jan Cap hills, come out over at San Mateo Creek, do a bridge, angle south through a tunnel under the second ridge and come out at San Onofre creek, cross the 5 at CP San Onofre and reconnect with the exisiting line.

That would have taken approximately 17 miles of mostly slow average 30 mph beach running on two angles of what is almost a "right triangle", via San Juan Cap, San Clemente, to San Onofre, and turn it into a "diagonal" "hypotenuse" "straight" (sort of) line of approximately 13 miles of electrified average minimum of 125 mph.running. That would turn approximately 26 minutes of running time, into 6 minutes of running time. The goal of 90 minute LA to SD was the non running time (IIRC??), and things like this reduced "distance" and, like the Del Mar double track high speed bluffs bypass, it dramatically reduces travel times. The AHS proposal cut both "time" and "distance", by bypassing the big right turn on the slow segment entirely. Cost in today's dollars probably somwhere north of 3 billion, as more than half would be tunneled.

You'd keep the Coast line through San Clemente and San Juan for the local OC "flipper" commute services, weekend beach trains, freight, and I'd even look at an OCTA service Metrolink terminal/layover/turnaround station, park and ride, and beach access station at the old Nuke Plant site just beyond the County line. Until next century, when sea level rise becomes a problem somebody else will have to deal with....