Surfliners to add three trains for trio of major events July 21-23

ORANGE, Calif. — With regular Pacific Surfliner service set to resume on Monday, July 17, the agency overseeing the Surfliners has announced plans to add three extra trains the weekend of July 21-23 to help serve three major events — Comic-Con International San Diego, the X Games in Ventura, and the opening of the summer racing season at Del Mar.

The LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency has announced these planned schedule additions:

— Train No. 568, which will depart Los Angeles at 9:10 and arrive at San Diego at 12:07 a.m., making all intermediate stops;

— Train No. 799, which will depart San Diego at 1:25 p.m. and arrive in Santa Barbara at 7:44 p.m., making all intermediate stops. This will provide an evening return for X Games attendees traveling north, with a departure from the Ventura Downtown/Beach station at 7:09 p.m.

— Train No. 798, which will depart Santa Barbara at 8:50 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles at 11:48 p.m., making all intermediate stops. It will provide a late-night return for X Games attendees traveling south, departing the Ventura Downtown/Beach station at 9:43 p.m.

Comic-Con, which runs July 20-23, drew more than 135,000 people in 2022. The event for fans of comics and pop culture features workshops, panel discussions, film screenings and more. It is held at the San Diego Convention Center, a short walk from the San Diego Santa Fe Depot, southern terminus of the Surfliners. Visit the Comic-Con website for more information.

Del Mar’s opening day is July 21 for a season that runs through Sept. 10. First post is at 2 p.m., except on Fridays other than opening day, when first post is at 4 p.m. A free shuttle is available to take train passengers to the racetrack. More information is available here.

The X Games Finals are at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, a 2-minute walk from the Surfliners’ Ventura station. Visit the X Games website for more information. The Surfliners had previously announced a fare discount for X Games attendees and a late train to accommodate spectators returning to Los Angeles [see “Pacific Surfliner to offer fare discount …,” Trains News Wire, June 27, 2023]. One Surfliner trainset has also been wrapped to commemorate the X Games.

LA commuter rail operator Metrolink also adjusting its Ventura County Line service for the X Games [see “Metrolink to extend Ventura County service …,” News Wire, July 13, 2023].

The Surfliners are set to return to normal operations between Los Angeles and San Diego on Monday, thanks to construction of a temporary protective wall at the site of a landslide in San Clemente, Calif. [see “Surfliner, Metrolink to resume service …,” News Wire, July 12, 2023]. A bus bridge has been operating around that slide since June 5 for Amtrak passengers, while Metrolink service has been suspended.