MOORPARK : Amtrak Says Rail Service for City May Start in October

Amtrak trains may begin service to Moorpark in October, at the same time that commuter rail service starts operating from the city, an Amtrak official said Wednesday.

In response to a request from Ventura County and Moorpark officials last year, the passenger rail service is expected to begin stopping in the city during runs between Santa Barbara and San Diego, said Ron Scolaro, Amtrak’s chief administrative officer for governmental affairs in Los Angeles.

Scolaro said Amtrak’s Washington office is doing a study to determine how many passengers would be expected to board at Moorpark.

If Amtrak projections show that at least five passengers would board each of the two daily Moorpark trains, the new stop would probably be approved, Scolaro said.

“All indications are Moorpark would meet that criteria,” Scolaro said.

In addition, Amtrak will need to get approval for the stop from Southern Pacific Transportation Co., which owns the tracks in Moorpark.

The rail service would initially stop in Moorpark on a one-year trial basis, and would continue indefinitely if enough passengers used the stop, he said.

Amtrak already stops in Simi Valley, Oxnard and Ventura along its Santa Barbara--San Diego route.

A new passenger platform being built in Moorpark for the planned commuter rail service to Los Angeles would make the Moorpark stop possible.

The 600-foot-long platform, under construction at the city’s historic High Street station, will meet California Department of Transportation requirements for passenger rail stations, Scolaro said.