The COASTER commuter train will not run on Saturday, Nov. 7, or Sunday, Nov. 8, shutting down rail service through Encinitas for the weekend.

The North County Transit District (NCTD) announced the suspension for routine maintenance and infrastructure work along the coastal rail line between San Diego and Oceanside, according to Patch. Regular service is expected to resume Monday morning, Nov. 9.

The shutdown also affects Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner. According to Pacific Surfliner travel advisories, there will be no train service along the corridor between San Diego and San Luis Obispo during the closure. No bus bridges will be provided. Amtrak Connection Bus routes will continue to operate, but scheduled train connections to those buses will not be available.

Riders who depend on the COASTER at the Encinitas station will need to make alternate travel plans for the weekend.

What's happening on the tracks

Maintenance work will begin Friday, Nov. 6, and continue through 3 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, according to NCTD. Crews will use heavy equipment, power tools and bright lights during the work. Several test runs are planned throughout the weekend, but the trains will not carry passengers.

The closure is part of a series of regularly scheduled maintenance projects that allow crews to work safely along the tracks and complete railroad improvements. NCTD calls these weekend shutdowns "absolute work windows." The district has scheduled them periodically throughout 2026, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, which reported on earlier closures in January.

Noise and safety

Residents and businesses near Seafarer Place and Franciscan Road in Carlsbad may experience noise and other disruptions from the work. A noise ordinance will be in effect in those areas, according to NCTD.

The transit district urged residents to stay alert and use only designated railroad crossings while equipment is operating along the tracks.

Getting around without the train

Encinitas is served by several NCTD BREEZE bus routes, including Route 101 along Highway 101, Routes 304 and 309, and Routes 604 and 609, according to NCTD's schedule page. Whether any of those routes will run on modified schedules during the suspension has not been announced.

The NCTD alerts page lists the Nov. 7-8 suspension and other service updates. Jim O'Hara represents Encinitas on the NCTD board of directors, according to the district's September 2026 board agenda packet.

The next scheduled NCTD board meeting is Thursday, Oct. 22, with an executive committee meeting set for Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to that same agenda packet.