Great news! A new project is laying the track for new passenger trains to Santa Barbara County – literally.
$22 million in State grant funding has been awarded to construct the Ortega Siding, which will significantly increase the capacity of the LOSSAN rail corridor – which is the second busiest in the United States.
If you’ve ridden the Pacific Surfliner recently you may have noticed that often trains are held at Seacliff or the Santa Barbara Station. The Ortega siding project will change that, by allowing for bi-directional movement that lets trains pass one another.
Critically, this will increase the rail line’s capacity to allow LOSSAN to move forward with a 7th daily trip between San Diego and Goleta and a 3rd daily trip between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
This is just one of a series of investments being made to enhance passenger rail in our community. In September, ground was broken on the new Goleta Train Depot. And as the SBCAG representative on the LOSSAN Board of Directors, myself and other Board members from the Central Coast continue to work to bring peak-hour morning Metrolink service from Ventura County to Santa Barbara County.
But you don’t have to wait to ride the train! As we gear up for the holiday travel season, consider taking the Pacific Surfliner as an affordable, convenient, and enjoyable way to travel. |