Pacific Surfliner adds May 4 train north of Los Angeles

Pacific Surfliner service expansion will add another train north of Los Angeles on May 4. The new morning northbound service is intended in part for Ventura County residents. It is aimed at those who work in Santa Barbara.

On April 6, the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency announced the added service. It said the change will increase operations north of Los Angeles. That will bring the route to six round trips to Goleta, California. It will also bring three round trips to San Luis Obispo.

Pacific Surfliner service expansion and route changes

The additional Pacific Surfliner train is being introduced through a collaboration. It involves the Ventura County Transportation Commission and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. Details appear in a Pacific Surfliner announcement. SBCAG approved funding for the pilot program in February. Also, the pilot adds a new northbound morning departure. It also adds a southbound departure later in the day.

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“Expanding Pacific Surfliner service helps strengthen regional mobility and provides travelers with more convenient options along the Central Coast,” Jason Jewell, managing director of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, said in a press release. “This new round trip improves connectivity across the corridor and offers riders a comfortable alternative to driving.”

Support from Santa Barbara follows through on a commitment to add service. That commitment was made during the campaign for the Measure A ballot initiative. The measure passed in 2008. It includes a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects.

Santa Barbara commuter rail option and schedule details

“More rail service means more flexibility for how people move through our region,” said Marjie Kirn, SBCAG executive director. “With Measure A support, we’re delivering on what voters asked for—more options for commuting, school, and everyday travel.”

SBCAG will host an employers’ forum on April 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Goleta. The event will inform local employers about jobs and commuting options in the area.

The new schedules should be available soon on the Surfliner website. At an SBCAG meeting, the proposed schedule called for another northbound train from Los Angeles. It would leave at 5:13 a.m. It would arrive in San Luis Obispo at 10:53 a.m. In addition, commuters would reach Santa Barbara at 7:56 a.m. Goleta would follow at 8:11 a.m.

The additional southbound train would leave San Luis Obispo at 12:12 p.m. It would arrive in Los Angeles at 5:50 p.m. Existing trains offer service suitable for commuters’ return trips.

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