Camarillo station explained

Style:Amtrak
Camarillo, CA
Address:30 Lewis Road
Borough:Camarillo, California
Country:United States
Coordinates:34.2165°N -119.0335°W
Owned:Ventura County Transportation Commission
Line:UP Santa Barbara Subdivision
Platform:2 side platforms
Tracks:2
Connections: VCTC Intercity: Channel Islands, Cross County, Highway 101
Parking:406 spaces[1]
Accessible:Yes
Status:Unstaffed, platform with shelter (overpass)
Other Services Header:Former services
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Mapframe:yes

Camarillo station is a passenger train station in Camarillo, California. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner between San Luis Obispo and San Diego and Metrolink's Ventura County Line between Los Angeles Union Station and Ventura–East station stop here. It is located at the foot of Ventura Boulevard at the intersection of Lewis Road, and is underneath the US Highway 101 overpass. A lengthy pedestrian overcrossing must be used to transfer between the platforms so a shorter tunnel route is planned.[2] The first Camarillo depot was at this same location until Southern Pacific ended passenger service.

History

When the Southern Pacific Railroad built a new line from Ventura to Los Angeles, it built a depot to serve the Rancho Camarillo. It was a Southern Pacific two-story design, similar to the still existing Santa Susana Depot built on the same line. It was located where the current Ventura Freeway overpass is today. While the overpass was being built in 1955, the depot building was shifted further along the track closer to the old Ventura Boulevard rail crossing. Passenger service stops in Camarillo ended on the Coast line in the 1960s. The depot was offered to the City of Camarillo, but no location could be found to preserve it, so it was demolished in the 1970s. The Ventura Boulevard rail crossing was removed with the opening of the Ventura Freeway.

The Amtrak Coast Starlight train passed through Camarillo in the 1970s and 1980s, but did not stop for passengers. The location was an empty lot used for transloading box cars for many years. The short-lived CalTrain service also passed through Camarillo without stopping.

A temporary platform opened at the station on February 14, 1994, as part of the emergency expansion of service on the Ventura County Line in response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake.[3] Amtrak's San Diegan trains (later renamed the Pacific Surfliner) began stopping in Camarillo on October 30, 1994.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Camarillo Train Station . June 26, 2024 . . en.
  2. Web site: Varela . Brian J. . June 16, 2023 . Pedestrian tunnel at Camarillo train station gets green light . 2023-06-19 . Ventura County Star . en-US.
  3. News: McDonald. Jeff. Camarillo Metrolink Station Opens Today . Los Angeles Times. February 14, 1994. B1. Newspapers.com. July 7, 2019 .
  4. News: Catania. Sara. Amtrak to Begin Camarillo Service . Los Angeles Times. October 24, 1994. B3. Newspapers.com. July 7, 2019 .