Amtrak to increase capacity on Pacific Surfliner route for Thanksgiving travel

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Amtrak announced today that it will increase passenger capacity on its Pacific Surfliner route from San Diego to San Luis Obispo next month to accommodate additional Thanksgiving traffic.

Customers are encouraged to reserve tickets for the Surfliner route if they plan to travel during the week of Thanksgiving. Reservations will be required for all travel between Nov. 27 and Dec. 2. Amtrak will also suspend the Rail 2 Rail program during that span and will not accept Metrolink and Coaster passes aboard Surfliner trains.

Last year, the company saw a ridership increase of 77% from the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving to the following Sunday, and Amtrak officials expect similar ridership spikes this year. The Pacific Surfliner carried nearly 73,000 passengers during the Thanksgiving period last year.

Travelers can make reservations for Surfliner tickets at PacificSurfliner.com, Amtrak.com, the company's mobile apps or by calling 800-

872-7245. Riders can print their tickets or present an electronic copy while aboard the train. Amtrak will have 13 round trips available per day throughout Thanksgiving week.