(The following article by Bob Cuddy was posted on the San Luis Obispo Tribune website on September 6.)
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — As it approaches its 10th anniversary, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner is posting double-digit increases in ridership over last year and is becoming a success, according to a report from the agency that coordinates transportation in the county.
Meanwhile, Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, which goes up the West Coast to Seattle, continues a downward spiral in service. It is suffering from a 12.5 percent decline in riders and its on-time rating hit zero in June.
That’s in sharp contrast to the impressive numbers posted by the Surfliner, a San Luis Obispo-to-San Diego train with stops at Los Angeles and other stations, according to the report from the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments.
It has become the second-busiest intercity rail line in the country, trailing only the Boston-to-Washington, D.C., corridor.
“It’s been building over time,” said Steve Devencenzi of the Council of Governments.
Its first run was on Oct. 28, 1995, when it was known as the San Diegan. It changed its name in 2000.
Other information in the report about the Surfliner’s San Luis Obispo run:
o Its July ridership to San Luis Obispo was the highest in its history. The report did not say how many passengers rode.
o The July 2004 to July 2005 percentage of riders rose by 274 percent. The accompanying increase in revenue was 246 percent.
o Total yearly ridership was up 11.2 percent.
o The increase in riders north of Los Angeles has been especially high, with San Luis Obispo showing an 86 percent jump since Oct. 1, Lompoc 45 percent, Santa Maria 35 percent and Grover Beach 34 percent.
o The news is not all sanguine: Fewer people took the Surfliner in some cities, including Carpinteria, Fullerton and Simi Valley.
o In addition, on-time performance in July was down to 71 percent from 80 percent in June.
Pete Rodgers, the Council of Governments’ planning manager, said delays generally come about because Union Pacific, which owns the tracks, needs to move freight. In addition, there are not enough places for trains to pass each other, and weather sometimes damages tracks.
The increase in San Luis Obispo is primarily because of the extra runs added last year, Rodgers said. There are now two southbound and two northbound Pacific Surfliners, twice as many as last year. The Coast Starlight goes through once a day in each direction.
An increase in gas prices may cause more people to use commuter rail, Rodgers says, but he adds that transit systems also will face increased fuel costs, which could lead to a rise in ticket prices.
Currently it costs $31 for a one-way ticket to Los Angeles and $47 to San Diego. There are senior, auto club and other discounts, he added, and Amtrak is planning to give Cal Poly students a 20 percent break on ticket prices.
The Council of Governments and other agencies have been exploring ways to expand service to San Francisco, but there is little money available now, Devencenzi said.