OCEANSIDE–Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the North County Transit District (NCTD) is experiencing significant declines in ridership and has determined that temporary service reductions will be implemented for Coaster commuter trains.
The following temporary service reductions will be in effect beginning March 23 and will remain in place until further notice.
Weekend Coaster Service:
All weekend Coaster service will be suspended. Service will not run between Oceanside and Santa Fe Depot on Saturdays or Sundays beginning March 28.
Weekday Coaster Service:
Beginning on March 23 the temporary schedule for weekday (Monday-Friday) service will only include the “active” trains below. “Suspended” trains will not operate.
In addition to the Coaster trips which will remain active, riders with a valid Coaster Regional day or monthly pass will still be able to ride the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. Amtrak will also be implementing service reductions. Riders may visit PacificSurfliner.com or call (800) 872-7245 for the latest information regarding Amtrak travel advisories.
On an average weekday, NCTD’s Coaster provides approximately 4,886 trips (FY2019 average weekday). Since the outbreak of COVID-19, NCTD’s Coaster ridership has declined by approximately 79% on an average workday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the declaration of a national state of emergency that has emphasized the need for social distancing. Accordingly, non-essential businesses and schools have been closed, and employers have been encouraged to allow employees to work from or remain at home,” said Matthew Tucker, NCTD Executive Director. “NCTD understands the importance of having vital transportation like our buses and trains remain in service during this time of uncertainty for many San Diegans. However, due to declining Coaster ridership during this pandemic, NCTD will implement temporary service reductions.”
The temporary Coaster reductions, along with the temporary elimination of Breeze bus school trippers, represent responsible fiscal decisions to ensure effective management of taxpayer funding. The Breeze school bus trippers generally only operate on school days during the regular school year to support the heavy ridership generated by students.
At this time, no additional service changes or reductions are planned. NCTD continues to monitor this dynamic situation and will make adjustments as necessary.
For the most up-to-date information regarding service alerts and changes, visit GoNCTD.com/service-alerts or call NCTD customer service at (760) 966-6500.
