Cliff collapses near sunbathers in Del Mar, delays evening trains, but no injuries reported

A portion of a seaside cliff collapsed Aug. 22 near the railroad tracks in Del Mar, shutting down all Coaster and Amtrak service Wednesday afternoon, Aug, 22, and delaying train service throughout the evening, even after the tracks were reopened.

The collapse, which happened a little before 3 p.m., involved a roughly 50-foot-wide section of sandstone cliff that tumbled onto the beach near the western terminus of 11th Street in Del Mar, a city lifeguard said.

A video shared on social media showed the moment just after the initial collapse as debris tumble down the bluffs near a woman sunbathing on the beach.

No injuries were reported.

The North County Transit District announced about 3:45 p.m. that all train traffic between the Solana Beach and Sorrento Velley stations was halted due to the collapse.

“Maintenance crews are en route to inspect the tracks,” the agency tweeted.

Buses were sent to transport train passengers while the tracks remained closed. Around 5:15 p.m., NCTD said the tracks had been reopened but warned that “further delays (were) expected due to train traffic and speed restrictions.”

The agency said in an earlier tweet that all Coaster service was expected to be delayed by at least an hour for the rest of the day.

-- City News Service contributed to this report. Alex Riggins is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune.