Without a LOSSAN corridor reimagining, its passenger rail operators will continue to see stagnant growth, an increasing gap between ticket revenues and costs and pressures to reduce service to close this gap. The failure of the governing agencies to deliver critical and targeted capacity increases that would have allowed a dramatic increase in frequencies and improved on-time performance, to unlock the corridor’s potential and increase ridership and ticket revenues, is especially telling.  The schedules and fares of the numerous services should be seen by the rider as a nested, easy to navigate transportation network.

While the hope was that the LOSSAN Working Group would develop recommendations to jumpstart this reimagining, results have been disappointing.  Based on the draft recommendations, the key agencies involved have not presented anything that resembles a vision of what the corridor could be or even actionable steps to address the current shortcomings and challenges. 

Lacking from the draft recommendation is a vision that describes the regionwide potential of the LOSSAN corridor and how SB 1098 recommendations could be leveraged to build the foundation for developing that potential.

What the LOSSAN Working Group recommended is small-scale process, communication, and operational actions.  While their adoption will improve the current service, the fact is that the current reality, even improved, is failing and losing mode share to the automobile.

Despite the wide variety of rail corridor governance models throughout the US, there is no exploration of these other models or acknowledge of the shortcomings of the current governance model.  There is also no acknowledgement that the current corridor governance model is too locally focused and may not be the best foundation to transform the corridor by accelerating ridership and ticket revenue growth. Ironically, a literature search of past LOSSAN corridor studies would have provided a wide range of options to pursue.

The draft recommendations did not include any proposal for initiatives to streamline third-party agreements, government agency construction permitting and specific project environmental permitting where those projects are located within an existing rail right-of-way. Also not proposed is a regionwide funding initiative, linked to a vision, to support corridor investments and services, both intercity and regional rail services.

Given the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reduction goals combined with increased transportation demand as outlined in the State Transportation Plan, the Legislature should highlight its support for fully utilizing rail rights-of-ways, an irreplaceable asset with huge potential.  Also given the rail mode’s dramatically lower GHG emissions compared to highway travel, the Legislature should clarify that capacity improvements within the existing rail right-of-way and the operation of additional frequencies generate significant regional and statewide public benefits that result in net environmental benefits.

In summary, it simply does not appear that the agencies can put aside regional competitive rivalries, a total focus on local issues and governance boundaries and develop a needed solution.
These interagency conflicts are historical and structural in nature and inherent in the current Southern California governance model.  At this point there is no confidence that these issues will ever be resolved and that we will ever see a low fare one seat Regional Rail Service (Metrolink/Coaster pool service) between Los Angeles and San Diego.  Given that vacuum I offer an alternative that recognizes no change in the governance status quo but circumvents it.

The Concept

This alternative proposes to expand Pacific Surfliner service from two classes to three classes of service – Business Class, Reserved Coach and Economy Coach.  This is similar to the three main classes of service on legacy airlines on their US domestic routes – Basic Economy (lowest fare, least amount of seat room, limited amenities), Economy Comfort (mid-range fare, additional seat and legroom, more amenities) and First Class (higher fare, generous seat and legroom, wide range of amenities).

Current Pacific Surfliner classes would remain as present; Business Class reserved service (perhaps offering specific seat reservations), with a modest surcharge above coach, generous seat, and legroom, current or modestly expanded amenities.  Current coach would become Reserved Coach at the same fare levels as present.  It would offer riders confidence that they would have guaranteed access to a reserved seat.  Current café service would remain available.  Economy coach would offer high density unreserved seating compared to Reserved Coach at fares close to or the same (depending on the city pair) as those offered by commuter carriers.  The increase in service classes would be facilitated by California’s Integrated Ticket Project’s (Cal-ITP) “Tap & Go” initiative. “Tap & Go” avoids all the challenges and decisions around ticket machines and which ticket on which train.

The reimagined LOSSAN Corridor (Pacific Surfliner) service would see some additional frequencies to round-out its service and clearly focus the route on the limited stop service, serving the broader Southern California Region and the choice for longer trips at all price levels. This reimagining also serves as a pathway for more state focus and involvement as the state moves LOSSAN Corridor through the Corridor ID planning process with the initiatives to expand the reach of the corridor.

Finally, expanding Pacific Surfliner to three classes of service combined with Tap & GO would address several of the service integration issues that have bedeviled LOSSAN Corridor discussions over the years. The three-class proposal separates the operations and market of each rail operator and lays a foundation to adjust for any upcoming commuter rail funding short-falls.

Key Connecting Hubs

To maximize ridership and ticket revenue across all the rail operators along the LOSSAN Corridor, it is critical that seamless ticketing of Cal – ITP, “Tap & Go” be leveraged in creating key connecting hubs for transfers between expanded Pacific Surfliner service and Metrolink and Coaster.  In addition to the seamless Tap & Go ticketing, schedules need to be coordinated to facilitate timely connections to travel to any destination.  Establishing key connecting hubs and seamless transfers will allow the Pacific Surfliner to focus on longer distance trips across all service classes while bolstering ridership on Metrolink and Coaster schedules.  The key connecting hubs would be Oceanside, Irvine, Fullerton, Los Angeles, and Chatsworth.

Station Stops

In order for this transition to deliver maximum corridor ridership and ticket revenue growth, it is critical that three-class intercity service complement, not compete, with regional rail service.  The clearest strategy to accomplish goal is to keep limited stop intercity service focused on longer distance trips and bringing lower cost Economy Coach service to unserved markets.  In some cases, this could mean allowing Metrolink to exclusively serve some current stops while the Pacific Surfliner focuses on former Metrolink endpoint stations.  Given the faster service an Economy Coach a fare premium could be considered for city pairs within the core Regional Rail markets.  Adding additional stops to Pacific Surfliner schedules would be counterproductive.  It would undermine the competitive position vis a vis the automobile for longer distance higher yielding trips while also undermining Metrolink/Coaster baseline ridership and ticket revenues.

Some proposed Pacific Surfliner stop alterations:

• Replacing the stop at San Clemente Pier (except seasonally, for key beach access schedules) with Metrolink San Clemente. Alternatively, given the increase in Pacific Surfliner schedules, skip stop San Clemente Pier and Metrolink San Clemente.
• Given the relocation of the Burbank Airport terminal to the north side of the airport near the Antelope Valley Metrolink station, consider shifting the Pacific Surfliner stop to downtown Burbank and no longer stop at Burbank Airport.
• Focus Pacific Surfliner service on Camarillo and make Moorpark an exclusive Metrolink stop. Current ridership at Moorpark is lower than at Camarillo.
• To further orient the market focus of the Pacific Surfliner toward longer distance trips and to reinforce the market position of Regional Rail (Metrolink) there may be additional Pacific Surfliner stops that could become exclusively served by Regional Rail service.

Network Restructuring

In expanding the role of the Pacific Surfliner and to adjust for funding cutbacks of Metrolink Service by local counties, the following service shift is proposed:

• Metrolink would truncate its service at Moorpark with the LOSSAN JPA (Pacific Surfliner) assuming services from Ventura County. The layover facility at Ventura East would be used to support these schedules. Three new Pacific Surfliners would be operated although the planned frequency expansion to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo could substitute for one of these frequencies.  As more rail line capacity comes online additional frequencies to Santa Barbara are planned which will increase service to Ventura County.
• Metrolink would truncate its service at Laguna Niguel with the LOSSAN JPA (Pacific Surfliner) picking up service through the constrained San Clemente rail line segment. Current late morning and early afternoon Metrolink slots through San Clemente would allow Pacific Surfliner to move closer to all-day hourly service between Los Angeles and San Diego.

With the restructuring the LOSSAN Corridor would offer hourly three-class limited stop service between San Diego and Los Angeles. This would be paired with hourly Metrolink regional service between Irvine and Los Angeles with very frequent service to Laguna Niguel.  North of Los Angeles LOSSAN JPA would offer nine three-class limited stop schedules to Oxnard.  Additional Pacific Surfliner frequencies are possible as additional rail line capacity is added.  This would be paired with hourly Metrolink Regional Rail service between Moorpark and Los Angeles.

Capacity

In order to integrate expanded three-class Pacific Surfliner service and frequent Regional Rail Metrolink/Coaster adequate track capacity is required.  There are several capacity projects under way that will provide at least some of the required capacity.  South of Oceanside the Batiquitos Lagoon Doble Track (Carlsbad to Encinitas) is under construction, while San Dieguito Double Track (Del Mar) is set to begin construction in 2027.  North of Los Angeles the Simi Valley Double Track is ready to begin construction, while the Leesdale Siding Extension (between Camarillo and Oxnard) is also in the early construction process.  Planned station improvements at Chatsworth and Camarillo will improve passenger safety as well as eliminating train delays.

Three critical track capacity projects remain and need to move forward to facilitate a robust intercity and Regional Rail service.  These are Eastbrook to Shell (north Oceanside), Serra Siding extension (San Juan Capistrano/Dana Point) and Raymer to Bernson Double Track (between Van Nuys and Chatsworth).

Fares

As was noted above, Cal-ITP Tap & Go would be the key to integrating both Regional Rail and the expanded Pacific Surfliner fare classes. No ticket machines, just tap on and tap off with a credit card or stored value card.  Tap & Go has been slowly rolling out with the World Cup underlying a major expansion to multiple operators.  https://www.railpac.org/2026/06/02/an-update-on-contactless-fare-payment-across-agencies-in-california/

Additional functions are being added.  Benefits, now in testing, allows for demographic discounts (i.e. Senior, Disabled Fares, etc.).  Also close to introduction is fare capping.  Fare Capping replaces 10-Ride and Monthly multi-ride tickets.  As riders accumulated a number of trips each month the per trip discount increases until, when the previous monthly fare amount is reached, subsequent trips are free.  One big advantage of fare capping is that, unlike multi-ride tickets which are linked to a specific city pair, riders get credit for all their trips.  Current, the San Joaquin JPA is working with Cal-ITP on offering Tap & Ride for reserved service.  The final Tap & Go module would give the rider credit for longer through fare (which has a lower rate per mile) even when they must make a transfer.  

Equipment

Another critical factor is equipment.  The Pacific Surfliner route has and will receive additional equipment as all the Venture cars are finally certified for service freeing up California Cars as a result.  One would assume that for equipment maintenance efficiencies, the 22 second generation California Cars produced as an option to the Pacific Surfliner car order as well as the leased Superliner cars rebuilt by Caltrans would be the cars transferred to Southern California. These cars would replace the single level train set (Horizon then Comet Cars) that operated on the LOSSAN Corridor and add one new train set that would be used for the planned frequency expansion to Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo.

The equipment impact of this proposal may not be as great as it would seem. In case of both the Metrolink replacement services, Oceanside, and Ventura East, some of the replacement Pacific Surfliner schedules would operate outside the current timeframe of Pacific Surfliner service – very early morning and later in the evening. Thus, the utilization of the equipment would be expanded.  The mid-day replacement schedule would represent a challenge although the additional frequencies planned from second set of equipment may address this challenge. In fact Pacific Surfliner three-class there may result in an efficiency gain by avoiding the duplication of services.

Ideally, in order to expand the current fleet and to clearly differentiate the low-fare Economy Coach from Reserved Coach and Business Class, surplus commuter coaches from Caltrain, Northstar and other commuter operators could be utilized to provide Economy Coach capacity on the LOSSAN Corridor (Pacific Surfliner).

Also, with the proposed three-class service, shifts in passenger demand, may allow another train set to be created from the existing fleet.  While additional frequencies will generate new riders, at least some riders will shift from existing frequencies.  In the demand forecasting world this is known as “cannibalization”, and it is an often-observed phenomenon.  The key is that it lowers the load factor on the existing frequency.  In addition, with reserved seats in coach, some price sensitive Business Class riders will shift to Reserved Coach, while price sensitive coach riders will shift to Economy coach. 

Furthermore, the additional frequencies to Oxnard/East Ventura will shift some of the demand away from the current 700 series trains.  Finally, much like is done over Thanksgiving, information provided to customers as they reserve seats through revenue management can be used to shift shorter-distance customers from the 700 series trains to the 500 series trains.  All these factors allow a smaller consist, allowing freed up cars to build another consist to facilitate adding additional frequencies.

Finally, to maximize equipment utilization a key capital investment is required.  That is the construction of a layover and maintenance base south of San Diego.  This could be done in conjunction with or as a precursor to the Corridor ID initiative that extends LOSSAN Service to San Ysidro.

Future Expansion

As more track and equipment capacity is added the frequencies that terminate in Los Angeles (500 series schedules) can be extended to Lancaster to provide connecting service for the future High-Speed Rail Interim service terminating at Palmdale.  Pacific Surfliner would offer hourly service between Los Angeles and San Diego, frequent service to Oxnard/East Ventura and bi-hourly service to Santa Barbara.  Metrolink service would be hourly between Moorpark and Laguna Niguel and twice an hour between Chatsworth and Irvine, facilitating passenger rail service every 20 minutes between Los Angeles and Irvine.