Come spring 2016, a revised Pacific Surfliner schedule to get commuters to and from Santa Barbara during peak commute hours will likely begin for trains between Moorpark and Goleta, said State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson today. "[I]t makes so much sense,” the senator stated in the announcement. “It will alleviate gridlock, get people out of their cars, reduce greenhouse gases, and get people where they want to go faster. It will also be a significant way to reduce gridlock once they begin construction to widen Highway 101."
A start time of 6 a.m., arriving in Goleta by just before 8 a.m., is part of the game plan being worked out between Union Pacific, Metrolink, and Amtrak, as well as train storage improvements and funding. Stops are expected to be Moorpark, Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara. The evening return times are in the works, and the trains should have WiFi and a dining car, and use newer, energy-conserving engines and cars.
“Getting a rail line in place for commuters along the Highway 101 corridor in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties has been a long-standing priority of mine,” Jackson said. She chairs the Senate Select Committee on Passenger Rail and been working with the Governor's Office and the state Transportation Agency for many months to align train schedules with commuter needs. "I am very hopeful we will see a commuter train in our area beginning next spring.”