Surf Line: The Changing Scene on Southern California’s Focal Passenger Rail Corridor

One of the most scenic rail lines in the United States is the former Santa Fe 4th District between Fullerton and San Diego, California. Known as the “Surf Line,” this route operates through a variety of urban, suburban, agricultural, and even mountainous scenery.

This line is most known for its coastal running at various locations between San Clemente and Del Mar, where the route operates along the Pacific Ocean. Today, this line’s ownership is split between Orange County, North County (San Diego) Transit District (NCTD), San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), and the BNSF Railway.

Amtrak, Metrolink, and NCTD’s Coaster service operate passenger trains on various portions of the line, while BNSF operates local and freight service. Between these operators, this is a busy line with a heavy volume of traffic. For many years, the primary locomotives powering most passenger trains on this line were a variety of EMD F59s on Amtrak and Metrolink, and rebuilt F40s on Coaster. However, all three operators upgraded their power in recent years, with the State of California and NCTD opting for Siemens SC-44 Chargers and Metrolink purchasing EMD F125s. This book captures the last years of the older locomotives on this route.