Amtrak Adds 3rd Round-Trip Train

Hoping to help ease traffic congestion caused by the Jan. 17 earthquake, Amtrak has added a daily round-trip afternoon train to its San Diego-Santa Barbara route.

The train, which began service Tuesday, joins Amtrak’s morning and evening service on the San Diegan corridor.

Carrying more than 1 million passengers a year, the line is the second-busiest intercity rail service in the country, spokesman Robert Kollmar said.

Amtrak’s new afternoon train arrives in Simi Valley at 2:55 p.m., Moorpark at 3:13, Oxnard at 3:33, Ventura at 3:47 and Santa Barbara at 4:35.

Heading toward San Diego, the train arrives in Ventura at 2:21 p.m., Oxnard at 2:35, Moorpark at 2:58 and Simi Valley at 3:16.

The midday train is designed to meet the needs of travelers whose schedules don’t match with Metrolink, the commuter train service that runs from Moorpark and Simi Valley into Los Angeles.

“Most of our patrons are the non-commuter travelers going shopping or to the zoo or to a special meeting,” Kollmar said. “Our trains fit in with their schedules.”

For information or reservations, call (800) USA-TRAIN.