Amtrak is filling a major service gap in its Pacific Surfliner service in California by adding a new train on its Los Angeles-San Diego route, Times of San Diego reports.
Beginning this week, the new southbound train 578 will depart Los Angeles at 1315 and arrive in San Diego at 1612. The northbound train 593 will depart San Diego at 1725 and arrive in Los Angeles at 2034.
“Each of the new trains will fill a nearly three-hour gap in our existing schedule, providing expanded possibilities for business and leisure travel between Los Angeles and San Diego,” said Al Murray, chairman of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency.
The additional service was made possible in part by the addition of a third track and grade separations on the route between Los Angeles and Fullerton, which is shared by passenger and freight trains.
The Pacific Surfliner operates 26 daily trains on a 351-mile route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, has three million annual riders, and is the busiest state-supported intercity rail route in the U.S.
