Senate Renews Transportation Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor

SACRAMENTO – The Senate has reauthorized a transportation subcommittee led by Sen.  Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, to focus on the LOSSAN Rail Corridor and how to improve infrastructure and service along the 351-mile line that runs through Southern California from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.

In its first two years, the subcommittee has held five informational and oversight hearings, commissioned a report on the rail line and highlighted ways the corridor could be improved with stronger infrastructure, planning and coordination. Sen. Blakespear has also authored two bills (SB 677 and SB 1098) to revitalize the line and address threats created by climate change.

“Enhancing rail travel and boosting ridership is crucial for California to meet its climate goals and reduce freeway congestion,” Sen. Blakespear said. “LOSSAN is vital to Southern California’s transportation network and economy, and we need to ensure its success.”

The other four members of the Transportation Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resiliency are Sens. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera; Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside; Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara; and Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana.

The vice chair of the committee is vacant and may be filled with the Senator who wins the special election for Senate District 36, which covers San Clemente. 

LOSSAN, which stands for Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo, has faced challenges to its rail line from coastal erosion, eroding bluffs and shifting ground fueled by climate change and sea-level rise. Unstable tracks have led to prolonged shutdowns of rail service in Orange and San Diego counties five times over the last four years.  

Thanks in part to the subcommittee’s work, the LOSSAN Rail Corridor has received more than $500 million in state and federal grant funding within the last year to bolster its infrastructure and increase rail service.  

The subcommittee has brought together state agencies, rail operators and relevant stakeholders to address emerging and urgent issues along the rail corridor. The hearings and subsequent discussions with subcommittee members have created an important forum for identifying problems and marshaling support to fix them.

Sen. Blakespear represents Senate District 38. Her constituents live in northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. To learn more about the district and Sen. Blakespear, visit her Senate website.