Southern California is holding back the country's rail revival
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Train travel in America is making a comeback, but recurring problems on Southern California's Surfliner represent a significant headwind.
Why it matters: Train ridership plummeted during the pandemic, but has rebounded as riders seek the comfort, views, affordability and sustainability it offers.
Driving the news: Amtrak is heading toward an annual ridership record, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- Ridership increased on all but two routes this year, and other train companies like Florida's Brightline are also seeing increases.
By the numbers: The Surfliner is part of that trend, with total ridership increasing 23% through June compared with the same period in 2023, according to a spokesperson for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), which manages the corridor.
- In 2023, ridership on the corridor grew nearly 5% from the 2022 level.
Yes, but: Unlike the other routes seeing big ridership gains, the Surfliner's corridor has dealt with persistent service interruptions from landslides surrounding the tracks.
- Repairs shut down trains for a stretch between San Diego and Orange counties from September 2022 until February 2023, before the line dealt with limited service or recurring closings through July 2023.
- This year, the line dealt with closings or limited service from Jan. 24 through March 25.
The intrigue: The ridership gain for the fiscal year that ended in June comes with the benefit of comparing it against a previous year that includes the nine-month stretch of closings or limited service between the two counties.
- Passengers increased 37% in the most recent fiscal year during those nine months, which also includes the stretch of service interruptions this past winter.
What he's saying: In his June testimony before a House of Representatives subcommittee, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said the coastal failures are hurting ridership.
- "The second ridership challenge is that the Pacific Surfliner route from San Diego to Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, our highest ridership route outside of the Northeast Corridor, pre-pandemic, has been severed on multiple occasions for extended periods due to worsening erosion at points where its right-of-way runs beneath bluffs along the Pacific Coast."
What's next: OCTA built a wall near the tracks to keep debris from causing disruptions and is studying a longer-term fix.
- The San Diego Association of Governments is also working to relocate corridor tracks away from susceptible Del Mar bluffs, a high-profile item in a November ballot measure for regional transportation projects.