Transit authority reveals plans for long-term project, which encompasses the establishment of a train station within Camp Pendleton.
The North County Transit District (NCTD) has been considering the proposal for a train station on Camp Pendleton since 2011, with initial spending of over $300,000 on preliminary work. The proposed station is part of a future regional transportation vision, as it is included in the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) 2025 regional transportation plan.
The plan calls for extending the Coaster commuter rail line beyond its current northern terminus at Oceanside Transit Center to a platform on the Marine Corps base. Camp Pendleton, with its significant employment of about 40,000 active-duty military personnel and an additional 30,000 civilians and family members, could benefit immensely from improved transit access.
However, challenges remain in developing the station and extending the rail line. Historically, a spur line at Camp Pendleton ran through a narrow canyon prone to erosion during heavy rains, leading to damage and removal of tracks in the early 2000s. Addressing these geographical and environmental issues will be necessary to successfully re-establish rail service to the base.
The most likely location for the Camp Pendleton train station is Stuart Mesa, where the North County Transit District has a Coaster maintenance yard. If built, the station could serve not only Coaster commuter trains but also Amtrak and Metrolink trains, providing a significant boost to public transportation in the region.
The coastal route, which is San Diego County's only railroad link with Los Angeles and the rest of the United States, is part of the nationwide Strategic Rail Corridor Network, serving 193 military installations nationwide. The railroad has existed on the same route since the 1880s and crossed land that became Camp Pendleton in 1942.
The draft 2025 SANDAG regional plan includes extending the Coaster commuter line to a platform on Camp Pendleton, and a final version of this plan is expected to be adopted by the SANDAG board in December 2025. However, no negotiations are underway at present for the approval of a train station on Camp Pendleton.
The district's Breeze bus routes cover several areas of Camp Pendleton, with much of the bus service provided by the district's Flex on-demand program. There is also a proposal to open another Coaster passenger station south of the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego to serve the San Diego Convention Center.
In late 2013, a letter from the Pentagon granted "conceptual approval" for the Camp Pendleton station, according to an archived news story. The coastal route, which carries the Coaster and Amtrak service as far south as the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego, could see significant improvements with the addition of the Camp Pendleton train station.
In summary, the Camp Pendleton train station is a long-term goal for improved transit access in the region. Challenges related to terrain and erosion, as well as the need for formal plan adoption and implementation steps, remain. However, with the support of the North County Transit District and the San Diego Association of Governments, the vision for a train station on Camp Pendleton remains a significant step towards better public transportation in San Diego County.
[1] San Diego Union-Tribune, "Camp Pendleton train station a long-term goal for improved transit access", 2021.
- The North County Transit District's long-term goal is to establish a train station on Camp Pendleton as part of a regional transportation vision, which could boost public transportation in the industry of finance and public-transit.
- The proposed train station on Camp Pendleton, situated on the marine corps base, might not only serve Coaster commuter rail lines but also Amtrak and Metrolink trains, thereby enriching the transportation landscape.
- With the extension of the Coaster commuter rail line to a platform on Camp Pendleton, the San Diego Association of Governments aims to improve transportation connections between San Diego County and other major cities, including Los Angeles, thereby strengthening the nationwide Strategic Rail Corridor Network.
