Pacific Surfliner ridership has jumped roughly 51% compared with the same period last year. The rail line also posted its highest revenue on record, according to a Ventura County Transportation Commission presentation delivered Friday, Sept. 11.

The numbers land as Ventura County riders gain new options. An Expanded Intercity Rail Service Pilot that launched Monday, May 4, added a morning train from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo stopping at every Ventura County Pacific Surfliner station. Peak-period morning service runs between 6:14 a.m. at Simi Valley and 7:11 a.m. at Ventura. An afternoon return runs between 3:43 p.m. at Ventura and 4:41 p.m. at Simi Valley.

The pilot is a cooperative agreement among VCTC, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments and the LOSSAN Agency (Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency), the joint powers authority that manages the Pacific Surfliner through Amtrak. The three agencies are temporarily funding the service. The pilot has no disclosed end date.

Record revenue, record months

Fiscal year 2026 revenue hit $88.6 million, up about 26% from the prior year and 34% above pre-pandemic levels. Claire Grasty, VCTC's director of public transit, and Jason Jewell presented the data to the commission. Farebox recovery is trending at 70%. In July it reached 82%.

June and July 2026 set ridership records for the LOSSAN corridor. July logged roughly 319,000 passenger trips. June came in just under 280,000.

Average ridership since January 2026 is also running about 7.5% above pre-pandemic levels, the presentation showed.

How the service grew

The Pacific Surfliner restored full pre-pandemic service in three steps: an 11th daily roundtrip between Los Angeles and San Diego in March 2025, a 12th in June 2025 and a 13th in January 2026. A Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant of more than $27 million over six years funded the restoration, backed by a state budget match for fiscal years 2025 through 2027.

The corridor now runs 26 Amtrak trains per day: 13 roundtrips between San Diego and Los Angeles, six extending north to Goleta and three reaching San Luis Obispo.

Local infrastructure on deck

Two projects could further improve service for Ventura County riders. A pedestrian undercrossing at Camarillo Station, estimated at $22 million before utility relocations, would replace the current overcrossing that does not meet ADA requirements. The upgrade would also eliminate five minutes of scheduled dwell time at the station. The City of Camarillo is leading the project, with LOSSAN and VCTC sharing funding.

Near Oxnard, the Leesdale Siding Extension would replace the existing siding with one roughly 5.5 times longer at 3.4 miles. The $77 million project, at 95% design, could cut train wait times by up to 10 minutes and improve flexibility for both Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink service. Final plans are expected in October 2026, with construction projected from June 2027 through June 2029.