Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Adds Special Service for Southern California’s Biggest Summer Events

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner is encouraging people to ditch their cars and take the train to Southern California’s biggest summer events this year.

The Pacific Surfliner is the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in America. Across San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, the 351-mile coastal route serves 29 stations, per an official statement.

“One of the greatest advantages of the Pacific Surfliner is how easily it connects travelers to so many of Southern California’s iconic destinations,” LOSSAN Managing Director Jason Jewell said in the press release. “Whether you’re attending a major sporting event or a local festival, our route makes it easy to leave the car behind and spend more time enjoying your destination instead of planning around traffic and parking.”

This year’s major summer events are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors, which will likely result in congested roadways and limited parking spaces.

One of these events includes the Ventura County Fair, which will run from July 29 to August 9. Ventura Station is mere steps from the fair’s main entrance. For riders who take the train to or from the Ventura County Fairgrounds, the Pacific Surfliner is offering 20% off from July 16 until the end of the fair.

Last year, the event attracted more than 267,000 attendees.

Pacific Surfliner is also offering rail service to the California Wine Festival in Santa Barbara (July 17–18) and Downtown Burbank’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone (July 18–19), which is close to the Downtown Burbank train station. The train will make special stops throughout the days of the fan zone to support the event.

People can also take train rides to the popular Del Mar Racing Season, which is being held from July 17–September 7, and San Diego Comic-Con International (July 23–26). During the first weekend of these two highly sought-after events, select trains will offer additional seating and amenities.

But aside from convenience, the Pacific Surfliner is a more eco-friendly alternative.

Per the company’s website, one 487-seat train replaces approximately 304 cars on the road.

In 2025, passengers traveled over 193 million miles on the train, which helped lower greenhouse gas emissions by over 69,500 tons. This equals 67.2 million gallons of gasoline, the annual energy use of 80,200 homes, and the charging of 48 billion mobile phones.

“On top of just being a relaxing, inspiring way to see California, train travel is also a much more environmentally friendly alternative to driving. Along with helping reduce your travel footprint, train travel encourages visitors to spend more time exploring walkable downtowns, supporting local businesses, and connecting more directly with the communities along the route,” the website reads.

In 2023, Amtrak’s switch to renewable diesel replaced more than 2 million gallons of fossil fuel across California’s state-supported routes, including Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, and Amtrak San Joaquins, per the Amtrak Media Center.

As Amtrak aims to double ridership to 66 million by 2040, Pacific Surfliner is urging Californians to choose rail service this summer to reach Southern California’s most-awaited events.