Ventura (Amtrak station)

Ventura
Platform in front of freeway embankment
Location	20 W. Harbor Blvd. Ventura, California 93001
Coordinates	34°16′37″N 119°18′00″W / 34.2770°N 119.2999°W / 34.2770; -119.2999Coordinates: 34°16′37″N 119°18′00″W / 34.2770°N 119.2999°W / 34.2770; -119.2999
Owned by	City of Ventura
Line(s)	Pacific Surfliner
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	Downtown – Harbor Trolley
Construction
Structure type	at-grade
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	VEC
History
Opened	1992; 25 years ago (1992)
Traffic
Passengers (2010)	45,385  6.49% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Carpinteria toward Goleta or San Luis Obispo Pacific Surfliner Oxnard toward Los Angeles or San Diego (Union Station)
Location
Location within California

Ventura is a passenger rail station in downtown Ventura, California. The station is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego. Ten Pacific Surfliner trains serve the station daily. Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Ventura was the 33rd-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 125 passengers daily. The single platform is located on the south of the tracks with a view of the Santa Barbara Channel and the Channel Islands. The Ventura Freeway (Hwy 101) is parallel with and on the north side of tracks.

The Metrolink Ventura County Line terminus is in Montalvo at the East Ventura Metrolink Station since commuters traveling towards Los Angeles are better served by that station and overnight storage of trains in the downtown was impractical. Special service trains may come to this station such as service to the Ventura County Fair, in season.

Ventura County Fair at Seaside Park

The platform is located on a portion of Coast Line between the Ventura River and Ash Street that is under franchise from the City of Ventura. Having approved an official map in 1869, the town trustees approved the laying down of tracks on Front Street through the existing townsite. Approval was conditioned on Southern Pacific Branch Railway building and maintaining a depot within the corporate limits. The original train station was located about a half mile east (towards Oxnard) within the Eastern Addition to the town. Ventura Junction where the Ventura and Ojai Valley Railroad Company branched off up along the Ventura River is just west of the station. The rails reached the town of Nordhoff in 1898 and the line was acquired by Southern Pacific Transportation Company in 1899. The Ventura River Parkway Trail has been constructed within the abandoned railroad right-of-way.