Heading to San Diego for the 50th anniversary of Comic-Con International? You can skip the freeway traffic, hotel parking fees, and take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.
Amtrak is adding extra staff and equipment to meet the demand of travelers. Over the five-day period, July 17-21, they are adding extra trains and approximately 9,500 additional seats to the trains on the route. 14 extra cars are being placed into service to expand capacity on peak days (Wednesday and Sunday) as well to meet the projected demand.
More than 160,000 people visit San Diego every year for Comic-Con International. The four-day convention has grown to be the largest of its kind, with a 460,000 square foot exhibit hall and more than 700 events, including workshops, panels, film screenings, and competitions. Comic-Con is typically one of the busiest weeks on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, as fans of comic books and pop culture, industry professionals and even cosplayers fill the trains to and from the convention.
This year, the convention falls on the same weekend as the start of the summer racing season at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, so trains will be even busier between Los Angeles and Solana Beach (a few stops north of the downtown San Diego Station) from July 17 to 21, 2019.
Extra Round-Trip Added
To help accommodate the surge in travelers between July 17 and 21, 2019, Amtrak will add extra Pacific Surfliner trains between Los Angeles and San Diego.
- Train 568 departs Los Angeles at 8:50 a.m. on July 17, 18 and 19, 2019, making all Amtrak stops to San Diego, arriving at 12:46 p.m.
- Train 1568 departs Los Angeles at 10:00 a.m. on July 20 and 21, 2019, making all Amtrak stops to San Diego, arriving at 1:16 p.m.
- Train 593 departs San Diego at 8:02 p.m. on July 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2019, making all Amtrak stops to Los Angeles, arriving at 11:04 p.m.
Download special train schedules or view all Pacific Surfliner train schedules.
Tips for riding at peak travel times
- Enjoy flexibility with unreserved coach tickets: Unreserved coach tickets allow customers to ride any Pacific Surfliner train from the origin station to the destination station listed on the ticket. This gives provides flexibility to take a different train than the one selected in the booking process. Because Unreserved Coach seats are available to boarding passengers on a first-come, first-served basis, trains can occasionally become crowded, especially in the summer and during peak travel periods. On the busiest trains, it may become difficult to find a seat on certain sections of the route.
- Follow @PacSurfliners on Twitter for train status alerts: Including notifications regarding which trains we expect to be particularly busy. With an Unreserved Coach ticket, customers can choose to take an earlier or later train at no charge if the one they were planning to take is expected to be crowded.
- Upgrade the experience with business class: Customers receive a guaranteed seat and extra space to stretch out, receive a complimentary snack and drink, priority boarding in San Diego, access to the Metropolitan Lounge at Los Angeles Union Station, and bonus Amtrak Guest Rewards points. The number of Business Class seats on each train is limited, so it’s best to book early before they sell out.
For complete details, visit PacificSurfliner.com.
