Pacific Surfliner restores pre-COVID service, adds 13th roundtrip, beginning today

Effective January 26th, the Pacific Surfliner will operate an additional train between San Diego and Los Angeles in each direction.

Restoring frequency to pre-pandemic levels, LOSSAN has introduced a 13th round-trip between San Diego and Los Angeles. A new northbound train will depart San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot at around 7:00 am, arriving in Los Angeles at approximately 10:00 am. Additionally, a new southbound train will depart Los Angeles Union Station at 7:10 pm, arriving in San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot at approximately 11:07 pm.

Additionally, schedules have been slightly adjusted. The first northbound train to SLO has been moved to later in the day, swapping trains 761 and 765. Additionally, one of the southbound trains originating in Goleta has been moved earlier in the day, with train 784 becoming 584 (and no longer stretching to Goleta) while train 582 is becoming 782, and originating in Goleta. Most trains will now serve the San Clemente Pier station on top of the San Clemente station, with 11 out of 13 round trips stopping at the station (compared to three before).

The expansion was funded through a $27.1 million grant awarded by the FRA’s Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program.

On top of the southern service expansion, agencies are hoping to expand Surfliner service north of Los Angeles.

VCTC and SBCAG, the agencies in charge of transportation Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties respectively, are looking for a way to establish additional peak-hour rail service on the Pacific Surfliner. Under the new agreement, the additional service would run the full northern section of the Surfliner route, with an early morning trip originating from Los Angeles and an additional return trip continuing on to San Diego.

Despite an easier road ahead for the pilot program, there are still several hurdles faced by the agencies. They must first negotiate agreements with Caltrans, CalSTA, and LOSSAN. If all goes to plan, the additional service expansion is planned to start by April.

The new schedule can be found on the Pacific Surfliner’s website. Between January 26, 2026 and March 13, 2026, Surfliner riders can use code V526 to receive a 20% discount on Pacific Surfliner trips.

If you found this article interesting, consider subscribing to The SoCal Transiteer! You can customize what topics you want to read about, and it’s the best way to support our work.