Transportation Panel Buys Rail Station

The Ventura County Transportation Commission on Tuesday announced its purchase of the Camarillo rail station at Lewis Road.

Commission representatives had been negotiating with Union Pacific Railroad for the purchase of the station for several months. The agency purchased the station with $630,000 in state and federal funds.

The commission made several improvements at the station after the 1994 earthquake, including adding a parking and platform area.

“It was an investment we had made, but we did it on other people’s property,” said Nancy Grasmehr, commission chairwoman. “So now we own it, and there’s no question about it being available for passenger traffic.”

The site is used as a stop for Metrolink and Amtrak trains. The acquisition follows a recently negotiated contract between the Transportation Commission and Union Pacific that provided for the continuation of service from Moorpark to Oxnard.

The commission already owns the stations in Moorpark and Simi Valley.

If more funding becomes available, Grasmehr said she would like to enclose the Camarillo station platform. But for now, the commission is simply looking at installing a message board that will inform people if trains are delayed.

The agency was created in 1988 and a year later assumed the resources and transportation responsibilities of the Ventura County Assn. of Governments.

The commission is responsible for establishing transportation policies and coordinating activities among various transportation operators, agencies, cities and the county.