ALL ABOARD—A new Los Angeles to Santa Barbara Amtrak line has been added at peak use times to offer commuters an alternative to making the drive daily. MICHELE WILLER-ALLRED/Acorn Newspapers
After years of delays and bureaucratic hurdles, a long-anticipated commuter rail link between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties launched this week, offering workers an alternative to the daily grind on Highway 101.
The weekday service, operated by Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, is timed for peak commutes. The northbound train departs Los Angeles Union Station at 5:13 a.m., stopping in Simi Valley and Moorpark before continuing through Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura before arriving in Santa Barbara just before 8 a.m. and Goleta shortly after.
While the railway service does not pass through Thousand Oaks, T.O. commuters could shorten their drive by picking the train up at one of the county stops.
The service is designed to give Ventura County residents who work on the South Coast a viable alternative to driving, particularly during the congested 7 to 8 a.m. commute, which often stretches beyond an hour due to bottlenecks in Carpinteria and Montecito.
Free shuttle buses meet passengers upon arrival, serving major job centers including UC Santa Barbara, the Hollister Avenue tech corridor, Cottage Hospital and downtown government offices.
No riders boarded in Moorpark on the early morning train the first day, but interest was evident among those stopping by.
Moorpark resident Matthew Buoni visited the station to check on the new service. He regularly commutes to Goleta and has relied on a later train that doesn’t arrive until around 10 a.m., making it impractical for a typical workday.
“I’m looking forward to riding it. I will take it quite regularly,” Buoni said. “I have driven to Goleta for work. I’d rather not.”
He said ongoing construction along the South Coast adds to the appeal of rail and believes the earlier train could expand job opportunities.
“There’s some pretty good jobs out there but there’s a lot better housing options out here,” he said.
Albert Aguirre of Simi Valley said rising driving costs are another reason commuters may reconsider their options.
He estimated a round trip to Santa Barbara—about 110 miles—costs more than $40 in gas, with total vehicle expenses reaching about $77 per day when factoring in maintenance, insurance and wear and tear, according to AAA estimates.
“Train and bus travel is becoming much more appealing nowadays with skyrocketing gas and auto costs,” said Aguirre, who hopes to use the train when he begins UC Santa Barbara later this year.
“Taking the train to work from Ventura County to Santa Barbara and Goleta is a wonderful way to reduce the stress of your commute and enjoy the view along the way,” said Martin Erickson, executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission.
The service revives a pre-pandemic route that ran from 2018 to 2020 but struggled with inconvenient scheduling and declining ridership. This time, planners aligned the schedule more closely with standard work hours.
Fares range from $17 to $23 one way from stops in Ventura County, but multi-ride discounts significantly reduce costs. Ten-ride passes are priced at $50—about $5 per trip—and monthly unlimited passes cost $150.
Funding comes from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments and the Ventura County Transportation Commission, each contributing $1.1 million for the first year of the pilot program.
Officials estimate roughly 11,000 Ventura County residents commute to Santa Barbara County for work on a typical weekday.
Additional incentives include SmartRide vouchers for discounted or free rides and free transfers onto connecting buses, including Ventura County Transportation Commission’s Coastal Express and Santa Barbara’s Metropolitan Transit District. Riders can use one ticket across systems and mix options, such as taking the train one way and the bus for the return trip.
Getting passengers from stations to final destinations in Santa Barbara County remains a challenge, but officials are working to bridge the gap with coordinated shuttle and transit connections.
The service is part of a broader effort to ease congestion along the 101 corridor as construction work continues between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara.
It also reflects years of coordination among agencies, including the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, with delays tied to funding, equipment and agreements with Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the tracks.
Officials ultimately shifted strategy, allowing Amtrak to operate the service under existing agreements, accelerating the launch.
The service will run as a one-year pilot program. If ridership meets expectations, it could become a permanent option for commuters traveling between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.