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CHSRA has produced several alternatives analyses reports for HSR alignments been running since 1938. It was first operated by the Atchinson, Topeka
in our region and is now working on Draft EIS/EIRs for the different future HSR and Santa Fe Railroad and called the “San Diegan.” In 1971, when Amtrak
segments in the SCAG region. was created it assumed operation of the San Diegan service. In 2000, the
San Diegan was renamed the Pacific Surfliner, and service was extended
north to San Luis Obispo.
INTERCITY RAIL

LOSSAN CORRIDOR SUSTAINABILITY
THE PACIFIC SURFLINER
The Pacific Surfliner South Service Development Plan (May 2013) points
The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner serves a 351-mile-long corridor connecting San
Luis Obispo, Los Angeles and San Diego. For administrative and management to the threat of climate change on the Pacific Surfliner’s infrastructure, as
purposes it is referred to as the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo well as the state rail network. It cites that the physical impacts on railroad
(LOSSAN) Rail Corridor. This name was created when stakeholders formed a infrastructure include “inundation, landslides, flooding, high winds, intense
management and planning Joint Powers Authority (JPA) in 1989 and, at the time, waves, storm surge, accelerated coastal erosion and change in construction
material durability.”
member agencies only included representatives from Los Angeles to San Diego.
The Pacific Surfliner is the second busiest service in Amtrak’s national network,
only behind the Northeast Corridor, and moves nearly nine percent of Amtrak’s THE COAST STARLIGHT
total national ridership. Currently, there are 13 daily round trips between
Los Angeles Union Station and San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot, five round trips The Amtrak Coast Starlight operates between Los Angeles Union Station and
between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and Goleta, and two daily round trips Seattle, Washington via Santa Barbara, Oakland and Portland, OR. It provides
serving San Luis Obispo. one round trip per day. It is Amtrak’s second most popular long distance train
service. Planning is underway to bring back the “Coast Daylight,” which would
The Pacific Surfliner train service is augmented by Amtrak Thruway buses run from Los Angeles directly into San Francisco’s new Transbay Terminal via
providing an important extension for the Pacific Surfliner. The Thruway service the San Francisco peninsula. Plans call for extending a current Pacific Surfliner
is part of Amtrak’s network and can only be booked as part of a linked trip with train to implement this service. The Coast Rail Coordinating Council (CRCC) is
a Pacific Surfliner train. The Pacific Surfliner Thruway routes offer service from: leading up this effort.

z Los Angeles to Bakersfield
z Los Angeles to Santa Barbara THE SOUTHWEST CHIEF

z Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo-San Francisco/Oakland The Southwest Chief is an Amtrak long distance service which operates between
Los Angeles and Chicago. It provides the only rail service in California from Los
z Santa Barbara to San Jose
Angeles east to Victorville, Barstow and Needles, and then spans the country
z Fullerton to Indio via Palm Springs with major stops in Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Kansas City and Chicago. Due to
The Pacific Surfliner’s ridership has grown steadily over the years and now the grades encountered traversing the El Cajon Pass, the Southwest Chief takes
carries about three million riders per year for FY2016-17. Service levels have about three and a half hours to travel between downtown L.A. and Victorville. It
also steadily grown. Rail service between Los Angeles and San Diego has operates one round trip daily. The national rail carrier considered suspending

Connect SoCal 7 Passenger Rail