Amtrak Launches New Coastal Run

It didn’t quite pack the historical wallop of the coming of the Mayflower.

But Saturday’s inaugural run of Amtrak’s extended service of a train from San Diego to Santa Barbara was hailed by state politicians and transportation officials as an important step toward providing alternatives to commuters fed up with clogged freeways in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Official service of the San Diegan, which will operate on Southern Pacific railroad tracks, will start today. The line, whose stops include Los Angeles, Van Nuys and Oxnard, will operate one round trip daily between San Diego and Santa Barbara during peak commuting hours.