ORANGE, Calif., May 28, 2020 / -- Beginning June 1, Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® train service will be partially restored to San Luis Obispo, with one train in each direction extending up to San Luis Obispo daily. An additional train will also be extended from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara/Goleta. Supplemental bus service will continue to provide additional options north of Santa Barbara.
The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees the Pacific Surfliner service, has been working closely with Amtrak to respond to changes in demand and public health conditions amidst the current global pandemic. Trains and bus connections continue to operate as an essential service, providing options for those who must travel.
A temporary reduced Pacific Surfliner schedule became effective on March 23 in response to shelter in place orders implemented by local municipalities and the State, and to address a significant drop in ridership. Under the reduced schedule, two trains and one bus operated up to Santa Barbara/Goleta in each direction. Service to the San Luis Obispo regions was preserved through limited Amtrak Thruway bus connections from Santa Barbara, with two daily trips in each direction, to ensure a base level of intercity transportation for communities along the Pacific Surfliner route.
The June 1 adjustments are the first step to restoring Pacific Surfliner service, and will bring back service along 100 miles of the 351-mile coastal rail corridor. This is especially important for the San Luis Obispo region, since a portion of airline service to and from the area has been suspended.
“We will continue to take necessary actions in the best interest of the communities we serve, while also protecting the safety of our passengers and crews,” said Donna DeMartino, Managing Director of the LOSSAN Agency. “We are excited to restore service to this large portion of our rail corridor, and we remain dedicated to returning to the robust service that we’ve provided in the past.”
"It's great to have a reliable partner like the LOSSAN Agency, who made reinstating this important connection possible," said LOSSAN Director Fred Strong, who is also a Paso Robles Councilmember. "We look forward to our continued work with LOSSAN in providing passenger rail service to all the people that work, live, and play in our region."
Effective June 1, the following adjustments will be made:
- Southbound Train 774 will depart San Luis Obispo at 6:55 a.m. and arrive in San Diego at 3:28 p.m., serving stations in between.
- Two southbound buses will provide connections from San Luis Obispo to Trains 768 and 796, which originate in Goleta/Santa Barbara.
- Northbound Train 777 will depart San Diego at 12:05 p.m. and arrive in San Luis Obispo at 8:36 p.m., serving stations in between.
- Northbound train 785 will depart San Diego at 3:58 p.m. and arrive in Goleta at 10:04 p.m., serving stations in between.
- Two northbound buses will provide connections to San Luis Obispo from trains 763 and 785, which terminate in Santa Barbara/Goleta.
The Coast Starlight, a long-distance Amtrak train, continues to operate one trip daily in each direction through San Luis Obispo.
Additional measures remain in place for the safety of passengers and crews. Amtrak has increased the frequency of cleaning service on all trains and at stations to multiple times a day, and in some cases, on an hourly basis. Additionally, passengers are required to wear facial coverings at stations and onboard trains. Travelers should check and adhere to local public health orders in effect for the areas in which they start and end their trip.
Further changes to the Pacific Surfliner service may be made based on travel restrictions, public health conditions, ridership demand, and other factors. Visit PacificSurfliner.com/Advisory for the latest information.
About the Pacific Surfliner
Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner train travels along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, serving 27 stations. It is the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in the United States with 26 daily trains and annual ridership of nearly 3 million. To learn more, visit PacifcSurfliner.com.
About the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency
The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency is a joint powers authority composed of rail owners, operators and planning agencies along the entire LOSSAN rail corridor. In addition to working to improve passenger rail ridership, revenue, on-time performance, operational flexibility, and safety, the LOSSAN Agency assumed management responsibility for the Pacific Surfliner service in July 2015, following the execution of an interagency transfer agreement with the state of California. For more information, visit Lossan.org.
For More Information:
Emilia Doerr, LOSSAN Agency, edoerr@octa.net
Media Contact:
Nicole Freeman, The ACE Agency, nicole@theaceagency.com
