Transit authority plans to integrate Camp Pendleton train station in its long-term development project
The proposed Camp Pendleton train station, initially proposed in 2011, continues to be a planned component of regional rail transit development, according to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) 2025 Regional Plan. The station, if built, could serve Coaster commuter trains, Amtrak, and Metrolink trains, providing significant benefit to base personnel and nearby communities.
The most likely location for the station is Stuart Mesa, where the North County Transit District (NCTD) has a Coaster maintenance yard about two miles north of the Oceanside Transit Center. The naval hospital on Camp Pendleton, which opened in 2014, and the military commissary selling groceries and department store items are also nearby.
However, the project has faced challenges with base access security. Camp Pendleton is not currently involved in any official discussions regarding a train station on base property. NCTD has not been able to secure funding to advance the project past the planning stage.
The coastal rail route, San Diego County's only railroad link with Los Angeles and the rest of the United States, and part of the nationwide Strategic Rail Corridor Network, has existed on the same route since the 1880s, crossing land that became Camp Pendleton in 1942.
The district's Breeze bus routes cover several areas of Camp Pendleton, with much of the bus service provided by the Flex on-demand program. Route No. 315 of the Breeze bus service takes passengers through parts of Oceanside and Carlsbad, and serves the Mainside area in the southeast corner of Camp Pendleton.
The proposal for a Camp Pendleton train station has made little headway since the initial studies, and any update on its progress should come from NCTD, the lead agency for the project. The SANDAG regional plan, a blueprint for projects, goals, and policies over the next 20 years, is expected to be adopted by the SANDAG board in December.
The Camp Pendleton train station, if built, would be intended strictly for use by military personnel, families, and employees on base. The station is included as a new station in the SANDAG 2025 Regional Plan, as indicated on page 251 of the draft plan. The plan specifically mentions the addition of new stations at Camp Pendleton and UTC, along with increasing service frequency.
Base personnel would have the added incentive of Defense Department transportation subsidies for riding the train. The railroad on the coastal route has been operational since the 1880s, and a spur rail line that went from Oceanside through Camp Pendleton Air Station to the Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station was removed after damaging storms in the early 2000s.
In a 2013 letter, Maj. Gen. J.G. Ayala of the Marine Corps Installations Command stated that the proposed Camp Pendleton station could be of "significant benefit" to base personnel and nearby communities. Despite the challenges, the proposed station remains a planned component of regional rail transit development in SANDAG’s current strategy.
- The North County Transit District (NCTD), with a Coaster maintenance yard near the proposed Camp Pendleton train station location, has been unable to secure funding to advance the project beyond the planning stage, affecting the transportation industry.
- The proposed Camp Pendleton train station, if built, would be exclusively for military personnel, families, and employees on base, offering significant benefits such as Defense Department transportation subsidies as part of the public-transit sector.
- The completion of the Camp Pendleton train station would potentially resume rail service on the spur rail line between Oceanside, Camp Pendleton, and the Fallbrook Naval Weapons Station, contributing to the ongoing development of regional rail transit and the finance sector.
