Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service resumes north of Goleta

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service resumed north of Goleta on Tuesday, bringing passenger trains back along the Gaviota Coast after storm damage forced closures on the coastal line, as reported by Noozhawk.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Heavy rain on Jan. 3 flooded Highway 101 and damaged Union Pacific Railroad tracks that handle both freight traffic and passenger train service—a point Railway Supply has also referenced in its coverage of Pacific Surfliner corridor work north of Goleta.

On Jan. 6, a heavy equipment operator clearing storm debris was injured when the ground collapsed and the excavator overturned.

Don’t miss…Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service expands to 13 daily round trips

Service had been suspended north of the Goleta Station until Tuesday. Now that trains are running again, passengers can buy tickets and travel to and from the San Luis Obispo station, officials said.

Goleta train service restart follows Gaviota Coast storm-damaged tracks

The disruption centered on the Gaviota Coast, where the Union Pacific Railroad track damage affected a corridor used for both freight and passenger operations. With Highway 101 flooded on Jan. 3 and the rail right-of-way hit by the storm, trips north of Goleta were temporarily halted before the Goleta train service restart went into effect this week.

SBCAG commuter rail expansion plan targets an added daily route

In separate regional planning, Santa Barbara County officials are still pursuing a SBCAG commuter rail expansion that would add service for riders along the coast. The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments is working on an agreement to have Pacific Surfliner trains add another daily route between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, with stops including Ventura, Santa Barbara and Goleta—an outline also reflected in the SBCAG “Expanded Peak-hour Intercity Rail Service Update” staff report.

The proposal calls for a northbound morning route and a southbound afternoon route. SBCAG previously tried to expand service through Metrolink, but it is now pursuing an agreement with the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) to use the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner for the added service.

LOSSAN roundtrips and the Thursday SBCAG meeting

The LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency currently operates five daily roundtrips between Los Angeles and Goleta, and two daily roundtrips between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo. The SBCAG board of directors will discuss the issue at Thursday’s meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room on the fourth floor of the County Administration Building, 105 E. Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara.

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