Amtrak California Unveils Thruway Service to Westwood
Los Angeles, Calif. - November 10, 2008 - Looking for a weekend getaway but don't have a car? That no longer presents a problem to UCLA students, faculty and staff, thanks to Amtrak California's West Side Route which has introduced a brand new stop at Westwood/UCLA.
The Westwood/UCLA motor coach stop is conveniently situated adjacent to UCLA's undergraduate residence halls, providing easy access to the approximately 9,500 students living on-campus and 8,000 students living within one mile of campus.
In the past, if a student wanted to go north of Los Angeles or travel through the Central Valley and didn't have a car, the journey was long - walks to a bus stop, multiple bus rides, subway and train rides before finally arriving at a destination. Now, thanks to Amtrak California's Thruway service to Westwood, UCLA students or employees can simply hop aboard the Thruway and, in just one ride, reach their train connection at Van Nuys or Bakersfield.
Amtrak California's new Westwood/UCLA Thruway service makes travel within California seamless, easy and fun. Simply hop on a Thruway Motorcoach at Gayley and Strathmore, and be transported in modern comfort directly to an Amtrak train station. Four daily trips connect with San Joaquin trains at Bakersfield, which provides travelers with convenient access to Central Valley cities such as Fresno, Merced and Sacramento, as well as cities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
From the Westwood/UCLA stop, Amtrak also offers three daily northbound motorcoaches connecting at Van Nuys with a Pacific Surfliner to Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo. Southbound, Amtrak offers one weekday and two weekend return trips.
What?s more, UCLA students can receive a 20 percent discount (use code V363). University of California faculty and staff can receive a 15 percent discount (use code V526). For these discounts, tickets must be reserved at least three days before travel and held with a credit card. A valid UCLA student, staff or faculty ID card must be presented as proof of discount eligibility. Some holiday blackout dates and other travel restrictions may apply. The driver will carry passengers without tickets to Van Nuys or Bakersfield for ticketing. Simply show your valid ID to the driver, who will hold it in the bus ticket envelope. The ticket clerk at Van Nuys will return your ID along with your rail and bus tickets.
To learn more about the new stop and the West Side Route or to view schedules, visit AmtrakCalifornia.com, Amtrak.com or the UCLA Transportation office.
About Amtrak
Amtrak has posted six consecutive years of growth in ridership and revenue, carrying more than 28.7 million passengers in the last fiscal year. Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 21,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.