Oceanside Transit Center. Photo: SANDAG
OCEANSIDE–The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and the North County Transit District (NCTD) expanded the Oceanside Transit Center to increase the number of trains that can board passengers simultaneously and to allow freight trains to pass through the station while passengers are boarding.
Starting Monday, passengers can board the COASTER, Metrolink, and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner at the same time, reducing train idling outside the station and improving regional transit service.
Oceanside Deputy Mayor Chuck Lowery greeted passengers on Monday morning and answered questions about the new improvements.
“Our transit center is one of the busiest in the state serving more than 220 trains and buses a day,” Lowery said. “We are reducing travel times by improving system reliability and the efficiency of freight movement, which in turn reduces car and truck traffic on Interstate 5. This is a step in the right direction for each one of us: cleaner air, less traffic and more travel options.”
Completed improvements include:
- Level boarding for the north platform, allowing disabled riders to board quickly and easily without special assistance (completed November 2017)
- Customer amenities, including new shelters, seating, and electronic signs displaying real-time arrivals and departures (completed November 2017)
- New crossovers, giving trains the ability to move from one track to another to improve operations (completed June 2017)
- A new 1,000-foot-long boarding platform to the south, which includes new benches, shade canopies, trash receptacles, directional signage, public address system, and platform safety lighting (completed May 2017)
- A third rail track in the center of the railroad right-of-way to reduce train idling. (completed May 2017)
- Extension of an existing eastern-most boarding platform 600 ft. to the north toward Mission Avenue (completed in 2016)
The Oceanside Transit Center, located at 235 South Tremont Street, serves as a hub for bus, train, taxi and ride hailing services.
It is one of the busiest transit centers in the San Diego region and connects San Diego County with Orange and Los Angeles counties. Trains generally operate between the hours of 4 a.m. and 1 a.m.
About $21 million in funding for the project was provided by TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation. The remainder was provided by Federal Transit Administration funds and federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. Construction began in June 2016.
