A welcome update on a story we reported in October: The famed Pacific Surfliner, one of the most popular scenic rail routes in the United States, has reopened provisionally on one of its most-traveled stretches.
Because of subsidence, the right of way of the Surfliner, which hugs the coast of California, had been unexpectedly declared out of service.
But now local transportation engineers have managed to get the train back on track. As of Saturday, February 4, trains are again operating on weekends between Oceanside and Irvine on Saturdays and Sundays, replacing the temporary shuttle buses that had been running during the fortification process.
For the short term, trains between San Diego and Los Angeles will not travel on weekdays. Service on every day of the week is expected to resume in late March.
Still, the Pacific Surfliner's path isn't entirely clear. A patch near Goleta, west of Santa Barbara, just emerged from rehabilitation, and erosion in another section to the north requires shuttle buses between San Luis Obispo and the Bay Area. Check on service advisories at the official Pacific Surfliner website.
At least the popular section between Santa Barbara and San Diego in Southern California has been restored.
The Pacific Surfliner is seizing this moment of triumph to tell more travelers about a little-discussed service offered to passengers: a free shuttle from the train to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
Through a partner, the Surfliner supplies a free by-request shuttle bus service between the station in Anaheim to the front gates of the theme park (which is busy promoting a big event of its own).
The below TikTok video released by the Surfliner's organization shows exactly how to use the complimentary transfer service. Travelers can hail the shuttle using the free A-Way WeGo app.
@pacificsurfliner Take the train to Disneyland! It’s a quick bus connection between the train station and the resort area. Here’s what to do once you arrive in #Anaheim. ??????????????????? #Amtrak #PacificSurfliner #Disneyland #DisneyParks #disneylandtips #Disney #disneytiktok ? Disney-style fanfare-style BGM - harryfaoki
The free Disneyland transfer is also described with photographs on the Surfliner's website. If you decide to use the shuttle service, keep in mind that from Friday to Sunday the last southbound train departs Anaheim at 10:49pm, and the last northbound train departs at 11:10am.
