Octa's transportation blog

Pacific Surfliner Makes Adjustments for Safety, Increased Demand during Thanksgiving

To safely manage an expected increase in travelers on Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains around the Thanksgiving holiday, reservations will be required to travel between San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. Reservations will be required beginning Monday, November 23 through Monday, November 30, 2020 to help manage capacity. Ticket sales are limited to ensure adequate space onboard each train to allow passengers to keep physical distance.

Additional train cars are being added when possible to increase the number of available seats on select trains.  Also, an additional round-trip will operate on the Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving to allow travelers more flexibility.

Other temporary adjustments are being made to the service during the holiday travel period, such as the suspension of the Rail 2 Rail program, which normally allows Metrolink and COASTER monthly pass holders to ride Pacific Surfliner trains between the stations listed on their tickets. Additionally, during the holiday travel period, Amtrak monthly passholders and 10-ride ticketholders will be required to reserve a seat in advance for each trip they plan to take.

The Pacific Surfliner remains dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crews during the continued pandemic. A number of enhanced safety and cleaning measures have been implemented on stations and on trains. Visit pacificsurfliner.com/safety for additional information.

For more information about traveling during Thanksgiving, visit pacificsurfliner.com/holiday.

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passes through Orange County as part of its 351-mile coastal rail route from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. The Pacific Surfliner is administered by the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency. The LOSSAN Agency is staffed and supported by OCTA.