Simi Valley station explained

Simi Valley
Style:Metrolink (California)
Address:5050 Los Angeles Avenue
Borough:Simi Valley, California
Country:United States
Coordinates:34.2703°N -118.6953°W
Owned:City of Simi Valley
Line:SCRRA Ventura Subdivision
Platform:1 side platform
Tracks:1
Parking:569 spaces, 7 accessible spaces[1]
Bicycle:Racks
Accessible:Yes
Status:Unstaffed, platform with shelters
Other Services Header:Former services
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:14

Simi Valley station is a passenger rail station in the city of Simi Valley, California. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego and Metrolink's Ventura County Line from Los Angeles Union Station to East Ventura stop here.

In, passengers boarded or detrained at Simi Valley station.

History

The Southern Pacific Railroad built a line between Ventura and Los Angeles, as an alternate to the Montalvo to Newhall line. The first passenger station to serve the Rancho Simi area was the Santa Susana Depot, originally located at Tapo Street and Los Angeles Avenue.[2] The depot served the community of Santa Susana which is now mostly within the city of Simi Valley. The historic Santa Susana Depot building has since been preserved and moved three miles east of its original location.

A station parking location at Surveyor Street (just west of Tapo Street) was acquired for CalTrain by 1982. The station opened with the inauguration of CalTrain on October 18, 1982.[3] [4] [5] The CalTrain service was discontinued in 1983. The Amtrak Coast Starlight began stopping the former CalTrain station on October 26, 1986.[6] On June 26, 1988, Amtrak extended one daily San Diegan round trip to Santa Barbara, stopping at Simi Valley.[7] [8] Metrolink Ventura County Line service began on October 26, 1992, stopping at most former CalTrain stations (except Oxnard, which Metrolink began serving after the 1994 Northridge earthquake).[9] Amtrak switched to the Metrolink station, located about one mile east of Tapo Avenue, at that time.[10]

A project to improve the station was announced in 2020. The plan includes a second passenger platform and pedestrian crossing along with a second track which would allow eastbound and westbound trains to be at the station at the same time.[11] The double track would extend about to the west of the station and include improvements at several intersections. As part of the Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion Program, the project will improve safety, enable more frequent service and make existing service more reliable.[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Simi Valley Train Station . June 26, 2024 . . en.
  2. Book: Bill Appleton . Simi Valley Historical Society . 10 August 2009 . Santa Susana . Arcadia Publishing . 978-1-4396-3820-0 . 700950508 .
  3. News: Commuter train ready to go . Simi Valley Star . October 17, 1982 . 1 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: IT'S HERE. The start of the line.. 17 April 2017. The Press-Courier. 25 October 1982.
  5. Book: 1984 . Rail Passenger Development Plan ...: As Required by Section 14036 of the Government Code . State of California, Department of Transportation . 12385802 .
  6. Book: Rail Passenger Development Plan: 1988 Through 1993 Fiscal Years . 1988 . California Department of Transportation – Division of Mass Transportation . Google Books . 48.
  7. Book: Rail Passenger Development Plan: 1990 Through 1995 Fiscal Years . 1988 . California Department of Transportation – Division of Mass Transportation . Google Books . 60–61.
  8. Web site: Burbank—Airport, CA (BUR) . Great American Stations . Amtrak.
  9. Web site: History of Metrolink . Southern California Regional Rail Authority . 2017.
  10. News: Metrolink station focus of attention . Mary Ann . Benitez . Simi Valley Star . February 14, 1992 . 2 . Newspapers.com.
  11. News: Harris . Mike . December 23, 2020 . Metrolink planning $86.5 million rail project in Simi Valley to increase train frequency . 2022-03-19 . Ventura County Star . en-US.
  12. News: Hymon . Steve . 2021-07-27 . Metrolink certifies Final EIR for Simi Valley Double Track Project . 2022-03-19 . The Source . Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority . en-US.