Pete Rodgers, the executive director of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, says the service would mean tourists visiting LA could reach much of California without a car.
“They're not just gonna want to see the Olympics,” Rodgers said. “They're gonna want to go to the Bay Area. They might want to go to Yosemite.”
The new service would launch in 2028. Riders would be able to take Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner from LA to San Luis Obispo, then transfer to take the pilot service as far north as Oakland.
The hope is that the connection could minimize highway congestion while maximizing the economic benefits of tourism — as well as serve as a trial for a future, permanent service.
“With so little connectivity on the coastline, we think it's an important time to demonstrate a coastal rail service,” Rodgers said.
The Coast Rail Coordinating Council is in the early stages of proposing the concept to state lawmakers. It’s estimated to cost approximately $15 million.
Funding could be secured through a future state bill to finance parts of the upcoming Summer Olympics, or possibly through a federal earmark, Rodgers says.
The 2028 Summer Olympics is scheduled from mid- to late July, and the Paralympic Games kick off a month later in August. The pilot rail service from Oakland to San Luis Obispo would run from June to August of that year.
