Pacific Surfliner

Operations

The 350 mi San Luis Obispo–San Diego trip takes approximately 8 hours, 52 minutes at an average speed of 38.9 mph; maximum track speed is 79 to. Much of the Pacific Surfliners scenic route follows the Pacific coast, with the tracks being less than 100 ft from the ocean in some locations. Trains travel inland through expansive farmlands in Ventura County and industrial areas in the Los Angeles Basin, San Fernando Valley, and parts of Orange County.

, the Pacific Surfliner operates ten daily round trips between Los Angeles and San Diego. Five round trips continue north of Los Angeles: two run all the way to San Luis Obispo, and three run to Goleta (near Santa Barbara), with Amtrak Thruway motorcoach service over the rest of the route to San Luis Obispo. Thruway motorcoach connections are also available to San Pedro; to Palm Springs and Indio; and to San Jose or Oakland (with connections to Capitol Corridor trains) via Paso Robles.

Because the stations at the ends of the line do not have wyes to turn equipment, trains are operated in push-pull mode. The locomotive is at the rear of the train, pushing the train from Goleta, San Luis Obispo or San Diego to Los Angeles. At Los Angeles, the train reverses at the station, and the locomotive pulls the train to San Diego or Goleta/San Luis Obispo, respectively. Run-through tracks are under construction at Union Station in Los Angeles to ease congestion and reduce time spent waiting to enter or depart the station. The ongoing North Coast Corridor project plans to increase rail capacity on the route of the Surfliner in North San Diego County.

LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency

Local agencies along with the host railroads formed the Los Angeles–San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) in 1989. The Pacific Surfliner is operated by Amtrak under the Amtrak California brand with funding provided by Caltrans. Serious discussions were held in 2009 regarding the local agencies administering the service rather than Caltrans. California Senate Bill No. 1225, passed in 2014, allowed LOSSAN to amend the joint powers agreement and become the sponsor of state-supported intercity passenger rail service in the corridor. In mid-2015, LOSSAN assumed oversight for the Surfliner. They are also working with Caltrans to assess rail operations from Los Angeles to San Diego to develop better connections, close gaps in the schedule, and optimize the assets of the railroad.

History

The route is the successor of the San Diegan, a Los Angeles–San Diego service operated since 1938 by the Santa Fe Railway. It had been one of the Santa Fe's premier routes until Amtrak took over operations in 1971. Initially there were three daily trips, but the schedule was expanded to six round trips during the 1970s with funding from the state of California. In 1988 the service was extended to Santa Barbara to provide the Central Coast with an additional train to Los Angeles, followed in 1995 with one trip a day going all the way to San Luis Obispo. To better reflect the route's extent, it was renamed the Pacific Surfliner in 2000. The route is named after the Surf Line, which now comprises the route's busiest section from Los Angeles to San Diego.

On November 4, 2000, a northbound train hit a truck at a private level crossing along California State Route 118 near Moorpark, California and close to Somis, California, derailing the first three cars of the train. The truck driver was killed; the train engineer and 28 passengers were injured. On November 23, 2001, a northbound train hit a farm tractor at a private crossing near Camarillo, California. The tractor driver was killed and 12 passengers were injured.

A stop at Old Town Transit Center was added in 2004. Stops at Orange and Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo were added in 2007 but dropped in 2012. On October 7, 2013, stops were added at Coaster stations at Carlsbad Village, Carlsbad Poinsettia, Encinitas and Sorrento Valley. The Carlsbad Poinsettia and Encinitas stops were dropped on October 9, 2017, due to low ridership. The Carlsbad Village and Sorrento Valley stops were dropped on October 8, 2018, due to changes with the cross-ticketing arrangement with Coaster. A 13th daily round trip was added on October 14, 2019.

On September 30, 2022, all rail service between and was suspended due to coastal erosion under the track in San Clemente. Emergency repairs were expected to take at least 90 days. Full Pacific Surfliner service resumed on April 17, 2023. Service south of Irvine was again suspended on April 27 due to further erosion at Casa Romantica. Service resumed on May 27, 2023. Service was suspended again on June 5 due to continued erosion at Casa Romantica and resumed on July 19. Service was suspended on January 25, 2024, due to a landslide at San Clemente. The state declared an emergency on February 1, allowing the Orange County Transportation Authority to access emergency funding. Limited service through the landslide area resumed on March 6, 2024, followed by full service on March 25.

In January 2025, LOSSAN was awarded a $27 million federal grant to fund restoration of the 11th, 12th, and 13th daily round trips, resuming pre-pandemic frequency. The 11th round trip resumed on March 31, 2025, followed by the 12th on June 16. The 13th round trip resumed on January 26, 2026.

Route

The Pacific Surfliner runs on track owned by several private railroads and public agencies:

• Union Pacific Railroad (Coast Line): San Luis Obispo – Moorpark
• Southern California Regional Rail Authority: Moorpark – Los Angeles
• BNSF Railway: Los Angeles – Fullerton
• Southern California Regional Rail Authority: Fullerton – Orange County/San Diego County line
• North County Transit District: Orange County/San Diego County line – San Diego

Stations

Entire route is located in the U.S. state of California.

, , and stations were previously served under the "Rail 2 Rail" reciprocal pass program with Coaster, while and were served under a similar program with Metrolink.

Rolling stock

The Pacific Surfliner uses push-pull trainsets with a diesel locomotive at one end and a cab car at the other. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a reduction in service from ten trainsets operating 27 daily trains to seven trainsets operating 20 daily trains.

Trainsets used for regular service are composed from a fleet of 52 bi-level Surfliner coaches (39 owned by Amtrak and 13 by Caltrans), plus nine leased Amtrak Superliner long-distance coaches modified for push-pull operation. These Superliners are called flex cars, as they can be used for additional business class or coach seating, depending on the demand.

A typical six-car set has a business class car; one Superliner car; two coach cars; a coach/café car with food sales on the lower level; and a coach/baggage/cab car equipped with coach seating, a checked baggage space on the lower level, and engineer's operating cab.

LOSSAN has expressed interest in acquiring bi-level cars from a variety of sources, such as purchasing Surfliner and Superliner cars from Amtrak, as well as receiving bi-level cars from other Amtrak California services.

The Surfliner cars were introduced in 2000–02, and were designed specifically to handle the demands of the nation's third-busiest rail line. They replaced the California Cars which had been introduced on the San Diegan in 1996, and had been fraught with problems in the latter part of the 1990s.

A dedicated fleet of 16 Caltrans-owned Siemens Charger locomotives began entering service in late 2018. The Chargers replaced a fleet of 15 Amtrak-owned EMD F59PHI locomotives, which were sold to Metra in 2019.

The Surfliner cars and Charger locomotives (and previously the F59PHI locomotives) are painted in a blue and silver livery that is unique to the Pacific Surfliner.

Additional Amtrak-owned cars are added (up to 12-car consists) during periods of high demand, including San Diego Comic-Con, the San Diego County Fair, events at the Del Mar Racetrack, and after the 2018 Southern California mudflows closed Highway 101.

Additionally, in June 2024, seven Caltrans-owned Comet IB coaches, alongside two Non-Powered Control Units (former EMD F40PH locomotives rebuilt into cab-baggage cars) leased from Amtrak, entered service on the Pacific Surfliner. The Comets and the NPCUs were previously used on the San Joaquins until being displaced by Siemens Venture coaches. One NPCU was soon returned to the San Joaquins to allow an additional Venture trainset to enter service. However, the other NPCU and the Comets continue to serve the Pacific Surfliner, hauled by a GE P42DC or B32-8WH locomotive. File:Surfliner SC44 2022 Los Angeles.jpg|A Pacific Surfliner Siemens Charger locomotive at L.A. Union Station in 2022. File:Amtrak Pacific Surfliner - Pacific Business Class.JPG|Lower-level seating on a "Pacific Business Class" car in 2012 File:566 Pacific Surfliner, Oceanside, 2016-09-12, 2. Amtrak Coachclass 000.jpg|A Superliner car used in 2016 File:Pacific Surfliner lounge car.jpg|Interior of the lounge car in 2025

References

Notes

References

1. (April 17, 2017). "Amtrak FY16 Ridership and Revenue Fact Sheet". [[Amtrak]].
2. (October 23, 2023). "Pacific Surfliner Timetable". Amtrak.
3. Lam Nguyen. (September 23, 2008). "FY 2007-08 Rail Operations Report". Caltrans.
4. Sharp, Stephen. (2022-05-31). "$2.3B Union Station makeover takes another step forward". Urbanize LA.
5. "Link Union Station (Link US)". [[Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority]].
6. "LOSSAN Corridorwide Strategic Implementation Plan, Final Report (April 2012)". San Luis Obispo Council of Governments.
7. (July 7, 2009). "LOSSAN Board discusses JPA and the Future Governance of Passenger Rail in Southern California". Rail Passenger Association of California & Nevada.
8. [http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1225 "Senate Bill No. 1225"] [[California Secretary of State]] (September 29, 2012)
9. Sheehan, Tim. (June 26, 2015). "Valley agency takes control of Amtrak San Joaquin trains". [[Fresno Bee]].
10. Weikel, Dan (January 27, 2015) [http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-california-commute-20150127-story.html "Little-known agency keeps commuter rail network on track"] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
11. Schmidt, Brian. (November 30, 2022). "Amtrak San Diego service through the years".
12. Gabbard, Dana. (September 24, 2012). "History of the Surfliner, LOSSAN and a Look at Pending Legislation". OpenPlans.
13. (November 6, 2000). "Safety Board Investigates Fatal Train, Truck Crash". Los Angeles Times.
14. (November 5, 2000). "Truck Driver Killed, 30 Hurt in Moorpark Train Crash". Los Angeles Times.
15. (November 24, 2001). "Farm Hand Dies in Train Crash". Los Angeles Times.
16. (September 18, 2013). "Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Adds Four New stops". Amtrak.
17. Diehl, Phil. (September 21, 2017). "Amtrak to discontinue two stops, add one". San Diego Union Tribune.
18. "October 8, 2018 Schedule Change". Amtrak.
19. (October 10, 2019). "Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Introduces 13th Roundtrip". Amtrak.
20. (September 30, 2022). "Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink halt operations in South Orange County". Trains.
21. (October 1, 2022). "Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink facing 60-day service outage to Oceanside, San Diego official says". Trains.
22. "News – Emergency Track Stabilization Work Set to Begin Next Week in South Orange County".
23. Connelly, Laylan. (April 10, 2023). "Metrolink, Amtrak to resume full passenger train service through San Clemente". Orange County Register.
24. (April 28, 2023). "Amtrak, Metrolink Service to San Diego Still Unavailable Friday After Landslide in San Clemente".
25. Lester, David C.. (May 30, 2023). "Rail Service, Including Metrolink, Pacific Surfliner, Cleared to Resume Through San Clemente". Railway Track and Structures.
26. Rendon, Karla. (June 6, 2023). "Landslide in San Clemente Rail service out of North County again". NBC 7 San Diego.
27. (July 11, 2023). "Travel Advisories". LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.
28. Rendon, Karla. (January 25, 2024). "Landslide in San Clemente damages bridge and halts train service". NBC Los Angeles.
29. (February 1, 2024). "San Clemente Rail Closure Daily Update: Thursday, Feb. 1 State Emergency Declared". Orange County Transportation Authority.
30. (March 5, 2024). "Limited Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Rail Service Set to Resume Through San Clemente on Wednesday". LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.
31. (March 19, 2024). "Rail Service Set to Resume Monday, March 25 Through San Clemente". LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.
32. (January 2025). "Restoration & Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program: FY 2021-2024 Selections: Project Summaries". Federal Railroad Administration.
33. (March 2025). "Schedule Change". LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency.
34. (June 12, 2025). "Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Adds 12th Roundtrip Between San Diego and Los Angeles". Amtrak.
35. (January 13, 2026). "Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Adds Daily Roundtrip Between San Diego and Los Angeles". Amtrak.
36. (April 2022). "LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency Business Plan FY 2022-23 / FY 2023-24".
37. (April 2018). "LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency Business Plan: FY 2018–19 to FY 2019–20". Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency.
38. Rice, John. (2025-02-17). "Former NJ Transit coaches boost Pacific Surfliner".
39. Alstom. "The Pacific Surfliner, Riding the California Coast".
40. (April 13, 1998). "STATE RAILROAD CARS PLAGUED WITH DEFECTS". Daily News.
41. (October 5, 2018). "New, Cleaner Locomotives Coming Soon to the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Service".
42. (February 22, 2019). "Charger Locomotive Deployment: ' The California Experience'". American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
43. Warner, David. (March 1, 2024). "Amtrak Motive Power Roster".
44. (December 2016). "Cleaner Locomotive Fleet Powers Up: 22 New Units Ordered for State-Supported Amtrak Corridors". Caltrans.
45. Young, Allen. (November 6, 2015). "Siemens Sacramento nabs $240M multistate contract". Sacramento Business Journal.
46. (August 17, 2018). "Official Paint Scheme and Logo Branding Guide". Amtrak.
47. {{Solomon-Amtrak
48. (July 11, 2018). "EXTRA PACIFIC SURFLINER SERVICE AND CAPACITY ADDED FOR COMIC-CON". Amtrak.
49. (January 16, 2018). "Amtrak boosts Pacific Surfliner capacity in response to mudslides". Progressive Railroading.
50. (17 February 2025). "Former NJ Transit coaches boost Pacific Surfliner".