California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter VI – Pacific Surfliner Route
The segment north of Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, on
Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP) tracks, was served by Amtrak by a
daily round-trip between Los Angeles and Oakland, with this train operating
through Oakland to Seattle three times per week. This train was eventually named
the Coast Starlight.
State support of the route began in 1976. This corridor has been unique among
State-supported routes in California because some individual trains were entirely
supported by Amtrak, since they were part of their basic system. However, the
State paid most of the costs of the other trains, which were considered
State-supported service. In October 1995, the cost allocation system changed and
the State began support of 64 percent of all service, instead of supporting
individual trains. This support level increased to 70 percent in November 2004.
In 1988, the San Diegan Route was extended to Santa Barbara with a further
extension to San Luis Obispo in 1995. In 2000, the route was renamed the
Pacific Surfliner in recognition of its expanded service area. A second round-trip
between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo was added on November 17, 2004.
Service on the Pacific Surfliners between Los Angeles and San Diego increased
from the original three round-trips to the current level of eleven round-trips on
Monday through Thursday and twelve round-trips on Friday through Sunday as
follows:
9/1/76 Los Angeles-San Diego: fourth round-trip added, State-supported.
4/24/77 Los Angeles-San Diego: fifth round-trip added, State-supported.
2/14/78 Los Angeles-San Diego: sixth round-trip added, State-supported.
10/26/80 Los Angeles-San Diego: seventh round-trip added, Amtrak basic
system.
10/25/81 State-supported Spirit of California Los Angeles-Sacramento roundtrip
overnight train provided Los Angeles to Santa Barbara service.
Service discontinued October 1, 1983.
10/25/87 Los Angeles-San Diego: eighth round-trip added, State-supported.
6/26/88 First train extended to Santa Barbara, State-supported.
10/28/90 Second train extended to Santa Barbara, State-supported.
10/25/92 Los Angeles-San Diego: ninth round-trip added, Amtrak basic
system.
2/1/94 Third train extended to Santa Barbara, State-supported.
5/15/95 Los Angeles-San Diego: ninth round-trip discontinued.
10/29/95 Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo: first round-trip (fourth round-trip,
Los Angeles-Santa Barbara).
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