The agency that oversees Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner service said Wednesday it received $1 million in state funding to update a plan aimed at making passenger rail service more reliable between San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles and San Diego.
The Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) will use the money to update its 2022 Corridor Optimization Study, which examines how passenger and freight trains can better share tracks and how future rail improvements should be planned.
The California State Transportation Agency announced the award through its Flexible State Rail Assistance Program.
“This investment is an important step toward strengthening coordination and improving the reliability of passenger rail service along the LOSSAN corridor,” Jason Jewell, managing director of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, said in a statement. “By working closely with rail corridor stakeholders on this effort, we will be able to identify opportunities to optimize services, improve reliability, recognize infrastructure needs and plan for future sustainable rail transportation services.”
The update will examine passenger and freight train schedules, connections between services, operating efficiency and possible infrastructure projects. It will also identify track or operational constraints that affect reliability and consider rail-service needs tied to major events, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The study was recommended by a state working group created under Senate Bill 1098 to improve coordination and reliability along the rail corridor.
LOSSAN staff expect to ask the agency’s Board of Directors to authorize the study. The agency will then work with CalSTA and rail partners to set its scope, schedule and process for coordinating with stakeholders.
The 351-mile Pacific Surfliner route serves 29 stations in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.