Officials Break Ground On Oxnard Rail Crossing Project

Saturday February 22, 2025

(Top aerial photo 2015 incident courtesy NTSB)

(Photos below intersection at ground level and Friday groundbreaking courtesy City of Oxnard)

     It's been exactly ten years since the deadly crash and derailment of a Metrolink train in Oxnard where the tracks parallel the north side of Fifth Street and cross Rice Avenue.

     Friday, local, state, and federal officials gathered near the intersection to officially break ground on a planned $134.5 million railroad grade separation project designed to make sure  that something like that never happens again at that location.

     In the February 24, 2015 incident, the driver of a work truck and trailer mistakenly turned onto the tracks from Rice Avenue and got stuck.     

     The driver fled the vehicle just before it was struck by the southbound commuter train.

     The collision and derailment cost the life of the train's engineer and injured 33 others on the train.

     This project will prevent that by building an overpass, or six lane bridge, with connector roads and other improvements that will lift Rice Avenue over the tracks and Fifth Street.

     The bridge will realign Rice Avenue approximately 250 feet east of where it now crosses the tracks and Fifth Street.

     Construction begins in March and the project will be completed by 2029.

     Officials say the improvements will not only enhance safety but also relieve traffic congestion at that busy intersection and improve commerce.

     Here is a link to the official NTSB report on the 2015 incident https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAB1607.pdf