Local News in Brief : Train Service Sought

Brushing aside warnings that the task might be impossible, the California Transportation Commission on Thursday ordered its staff to find out if Amtrak trains operating between Los Angeles and San Diego can be extended to Simi Valley--stopping at Chatsworth, Van Nuys, Burbank and Glendale--while the Ventura Freeway is being expanded.

Commissioners responded with enthusiasm to a proposal by state Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys) to utilize the trains to relieve congestion that is expected to increase when the freeway widening begins in December.

But staff members said new trains might have to be leased or bought and that subsidies likely would be insufficient. And a state transportation official estimated that it would take 18 months to determine whether agreements can be worked out with Amtrak, which owns the trains, and the Southern Pacific Railroad, which owns the tracks.