Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner rail service at Surf Station west of Lompoc has been suspended temporarily after recent rains damaged the tracks.
Alternative transportation will be provided for passengers at other stations until repairs can be made, according to a statement from Amtrak.
Pacific Surfliner trains 774 and 777 have been removed from the Surf Station schedule for now since alternate transportation — typically a bus — “can’t be provided there,” according to the service’s Twitter page.
The stoppage of service is related to a “unpassable tracks caused by winter storms,” according to Amtrak.
The track closure reportedly is north of Goleta, which would place it at some of the most remote sections of rail line.
Surf Station sits at the western edge of Ocean Avenue (Highway 246) on Vandenberg Air Force Base property.
The unmanned station and Surf Beach share a small parking lot that sits at the bottom of a hill.
“Buses are not able to turn at the Surf-Lompoc station, which is why that station has temporarily been removed from the schedules,” according to the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments.
Passengers with tickets to/from Surf-Lompoc were offered to rebook at Guadalupe, which is the nearest station accessible by bus, SBCAG representatives said.
Rail passengers will notice some differences in service.
For instance, Train 774, due to depart from San Luis Obispo, will originate in Santa Barbara, with alternate transportation provided.
Likewise, Train 777 will terminate at Goleta, with alternate transportation to be provided.
Amtrak directed customers to the nearest station — in the city of Guadalupe.
Coast Starlight train service between Goleta and San Luis Obispo also will be affected due the damaged rail lines, with alternate transportation provided.
The damage to the tracks appears to have occurred sometime Thursday as the heavy rains soaked the Central Coast, according to Surfliner alerts.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.